Semen Freezing
For breeding and preservation
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In Memory of LJM Encore |
The concept of freezing your stallion’s semen for banking, translates into financial and emotional security for the future. In early 2004 Santolina began a major laboratory expansion with preparations to start freezing semen for breeding and storage. Hind sight is 20/20 as we should have started sooner. Kim and Jack can tell you first hand that losing a stallion without a semen bank can be a total interruption of your breeding program to say nothing of the huge emotional overload. The tragic loss of our Arabian stallion ljm Encore (pictured right) – a beautiful dark bay *Padron son, was devastating and still impacts us today without any semen preserved.
Having frozen semen on your stallion can be an emotional helper and business life saver, while also opening the doors for new marketing of your stallion. Breeding with frozen semen is simple and the way of the future. Our goal is to have 100 stallions of various breeds in storage for the mare owner’s ability to choose a breeding for their mare (without the difficult coordination efforts and high expense of shipping semen several times); as the stallion’s semen will be in Santolina’s semen bank already.
Be sure to see the Stallions page as we have a growing list of frozen semen available at Satolina Farm.
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Planner MRV Control Rate Computer
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Cryogenic Freeze Chamber |
The first important difference with the Equine Cryogenic Services offered at Santolina, semen is frozen in a state of the art “Planner MRV” Control Rate Freezer which uses computer controls for specific freeze rates and times, with a unique Santolina Pre-Kooling process for semen that works well with shipped semen. Liquid Nitrogen control rate freezers are the current human cryogenic technology being used today, at Santolina, providing the most accurate way to freeze biological products. Quality semen freezing requires that the temperature changes and timings be accurate to a tenth of a degree, with program repetition, as done by our Planner MRV.
The second and probably most important difference with Santolina semen freezing is that we never let the semen remain warm or warm up again, if received as cooled semen, via courier. Prior to a semen freezing, the semen is cooled to 10 degrees or kept cooled as received (same temperature for shipping semen), .then refrigerated centrifuge concentrated at same temperature (so as to allow less G forces centrifugation and damage to sperm), loaded into straws cooled and then computer controlled frozen according to the freeze program and media requirements.
With frozen semen you can stand your stallion at Santolina Farm plus build a "Security Safety Net" semen bank.
After freezing, one test straw is thawed to determine the post-thaw motility for that batch to confirm sperm viability. IF your stallion ships well cooled, then he should freeze with about the same post thaw motility, similar to his one day old shipped semen. You can have or we can have your stallion's semen at Santolina (as one day shipped semen) on hand to breed mares on demand as needed. Frozen semen straws in goblets on canes are stored in a liquid nitrogen container and have an indefinite shelf life.
We are very excited about the new programs at Santolina/Equine Cryogenic Service and being on the cutting edge. We view the beginning of our Equine Cryogenics Programs as the first few days and months of the next 20 or so years to come. Stallion semen banking will have a significant pay back as time moves on. For mare owners, the world of horses is yours to pick from to breed your mare. See The Stallions for international breeding. For Stallion owners, frozen semen will be the ultimate bank you rely on for your breeding program. Come see us for stallions available OR the requesting of a stallion’s semen to be preserved and sold for your stallion. Frozen semen is the way of the future. Semen Banking is your horse’s future “in a bank”. Don’t miss it. See “Safety Net for Stallion Owners”
Santolina Farm Inc. & Equine Cryogenic Services are USDA Approved for Semen Collecting, Freezing and Storage with accepted recognition by the European Union for all breeds. USDA #16AZ002-EQS
Click Here to view our Fees page
