I. At the beginning, the rectum is washed with 6% sodium chloride solution.

2. The probe is then inserted up to about 12 inches and held in a position of rectal floor.

3. Alternate current increasing in voltage gradually from 0 to 5 volts and returning again to zero within every 5 -10 seconds is initially passed.

4. The subsequent stimulations made progressively higher so that at about 5th stimulus a maximum of 10 -IS volts is reached. Erection and ejaculation occur at 10 -15 volts when 0.5 to 1 ampere current is flown.


The home consumption of electrical current in India is between 200 -250 volts. The voltage is reduced by a step down transformer between 10 -15 volts and low voltage current can further be made as desired by the operator. This is done by varying the resistance without the circuit.

Advantages
The advantages of this method are as follows.

1. Semen can be collected from males that are too young or old or unable to mount due to weak or injured legs.
2. No female or dummy is required for collecting the semen.
3. Less chance of contamination.

Disadvantages

The important disadvantages of this method are as follows.
1. The method is highly technical and needs considerable skill and practice.
2. The semen generally gets contaminated with urine.
3. Some males resist too much to this method and refuse collection.
4. Sciatic nerves are temporarily affected during the operation but is relatively minor if the electrodes are kept over the ampullar region.

Massage Method

The artificial vagina method of semen collection has following advantages.


This method involves the simplest technique of semen collection by massaging the seminal vesicles and ampulae. Undoubtedly the collector have a considerable training to adopt the skill. This method is commonly used to collect semen from cock, turkey and dog.

Examination of Semen for Quality

Once semen is collected, it is examined to judge its suitability for inseminations. There can be two types of examinations, (i) a routine examination of every sampIe of semen collected, and (ii) a more detailed examination done at much longer intervals to study the suitability of a male for artificial insemination before initiating it to A.I. and at half-yearly or yearly intervals to evaluate if the male is continuing to produce sufficient viable sperms or not.

In the routine examination, the colour, volume, mass activity (initial gross motility), individual motility after dilution, sperm density and percentage mortility are ideally examined. In a more detailed examination hydrogen ion concentration, dead and live count of spermatozoa, morphological study of spermatozoa to judge abnormalities, resistance to cold shock or to sodium chloride, etc. may be carried out in addition to those listed under routine test. Besides, the activity of spermatozoa is judged by tests like methylene blue or resajurine reduction test, fructolytic index, oxygen utilization test and ascorbic acid concentration test.

---

Semen is extended with an appropriate diluent to increase its utility in fertilizing more females. Besides, semen diluents provide buffer action against the lactic acid produced due to the metabolism of sperms, provide nutrients to the sperms, protection against cold shock, reducing substances for preventing the activities of certain enzymes and in some case CO2 gas which will retard metabolism of spermatozoa. Many diluents have been tried for various species of farm animals. In essence, all diluents will have three major categories of constituents.

They are (i) nutrients or extenders like egg-yolk, boiled milk or whey which provided nutrients to the spermatozoa and increase the volume of diluted semen, (ii) buffers which maintain an optimum pH, and (iii) bacteriostatic or bactericidal agents like antibiotics to suppress the deteriorating and disease producing effect by bacterial contamination.

Next : Artificial Insemination Process