Comparison of Equine Cooled-Semen Transport Containers

Kimberley Rowan, Dickson D. Varner
Department of Large Animal Medicine and Surgery College of Veterinary Medicine Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77843-4475

• Summary
• Transport Containers Tested
• Results
• Conclusions

Summary (by HRI)

When transport containers are shipped by air, they are exposed to extremely low temperatures in the the cargo hold of an airplane. This study was designed to test effect of exposure to low temperatures on various transport containers. The following three outcomes were recorded:

• Spermatozoal Motility (overall motility and progressive motility)
• Cooling Rates
• Lowest Internal Temperture Reached

The transport containers were stored in the freezer to simulate cargo hold temperature.

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Transport Containers Tested

• Equitainer I (blue)
• Equitainer II (red)
• Equitainer III (yellow) (Note from HRI: the Equitainer III is not the same as the Clipper)
• Expecta Foal (green)
• Bio-Flite (orange)
• LaneSTS (purple)
• Express (light blue)

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Results

* Freezer storage of containers to simulate cargo hold temperature.

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Conclusions

• Equitainer systems appear to provide the best spermatozoal motility over a range of ambient storage conditions.
• Previously reported values for optimal cooling rate and storage temperature may be misleading.

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