They say there are lies, damn lies and statistics, and it's the use, or more likely, the mis-use of the latter in regard to frozen semen, that I'd like to discuss.
The prophets of doom on the scene like to point to the fact that the average success rate through live cover is about 70%, and that the average rate of insemination with frozen semen is half the live rate, so per insemination you have only a 35% chance of conception.
Sounds impressive doesn't it ­but really the statement is so sweeping as to be meaningless. If I say 1% of male humans will die of heart attack, it doesn't really tell us much. If we discover that the peak age is between x and y, that smoking/drinking etc. increases the risk by x+% and so on, we are moving in the direction of making a statement that is interesting and potentially useful.
Same thing with breeding. No one who is involved with breeding with frozen semen can fail to be aware that there have been changes in techniques and that some changes have resulted in a significantly higher rate of conception. Similarly, certain collection stations have consistently shown that they are more successful than others ­ and certain stallions and lines, have a better strike rate. All these variations are obscured by the simplistic 35% formula.
One vet I know was last season asked to breed six mares with frozen semen imported from the US. Another vet had tried with the same mares and the same semen the previous season with a nil result. Same result this season, nil pregnancies. These six mares should be taken into account when looking at the frozen success rate, said my vet friend.
Rubbish says I.
It may well be that semen from that source will never-ever get any mare in foal, and to tell the truth, I'm not interested in it. What I am interested in are the leading stallions in Europe, collected at the most advanced stallions stations, under ideal conditions. I am interested in looking at the results of stallions that have a proven record of success.
Then the 35% goes out the window for a start.
But then let's look at the mares. 'I was so disappointed none of my three mares got in foal to frozen semen', says a caller. Oh, says I, how many foals did you get the season before with live cover? Well, two missed and one lost her foal at three months. Uh huh, and the year before ?
Some people get mares in foal, and healthy foals on the ground ­ live, chilled or froze. Some people don't. Some mares look great, some don't. If we start refining our statistics to centre on those successful breeders, with mares that regularly conceive healthy foals, then that 35% moan looks sicker still.
Given that none of our breeding experts seems interested in actually finding out what the results are in Australia (again broken down to take into account the above variables) we are all moving along more or less by feel.
Last season, I bred three of my own mares using frozen semen. Two went in foal on the first insemination, one (who had lost a premature foal) did not get in foal even after four 'goes'. Perhaps she wouldn't have got in foal, live or any way.
Four friends used some of our frozen semen: one's mare went in foal second hit, one went in foal first hit, one missed on three hits, one went in foal on the third and subsequently lost the foal. You tell me what all that means!
I am convinced that some of the 'experts' are unnecessarily spreading fear and despondency, on the other hand, some of the vendors of frozen semen are want to toss off 'statistics' that are not really the result of a careful investigation of reality. Surely there must be some bright vet research scholar out there who wants a neat little thesis topic???
When I look at the foals I have bred using frozen semen I am quite convinced that I have done the right thing. I believe that frozen puts me in touch with the most exciting stallions in Europe, and the results for me have been more than good enough to justify the expense
The really difficult part is filling out all the papers to get them registered. That is really hard work, but that's another story.
Good luck, may all your mares go into foal on the first pop, and all the foals be wonderful.
- Chris Hector