When it comes to the quality of cooled shipped semen for artificial insemination (AI), all semen collection centers are not equal. They're far from it, in fact, according to a new study by Austrian researchers. The huge variation in the quality of the sperm processed by the collection center has an impact on the probability of the broodmare becoming pregnant.

"Results show–and confirm–that semen processing is far from standardized, and it can be much improved," said Christine Aurich, DVM, PhD, professor at the Graf Lehndorff Institute at the University of Veterinary Sciences in Vienna and senior author on the study. "An improvement of semen processing would certainly help to increase pregnancy rates."

In her study, Aurich and her colleagues tested 201 doses of cooled shipped semen coming from 67 stallions in 36 semen collection centers that have received the European Union (E.U.) certification of approval. In countries around the globe where there is no official approval process for semen collection centers, processed semen quality is likely to be even more varied, Aurich said.

The semen used in the study was ordered from different E.U.-approved semen collection centers in Europe for the insemination of mares. Stallions and, thus, semen collection centers were always chosen by the owners of the mares to be inseminated