Sperm numbers inseminated in dairy cattle and nonreturn rates revisited

Three experiments were conducted to test fertility when sperm numbers per insemination ranged from 10 x 10(6) to 40 x 10(6) total sperm. All semen was from Holstein bulls that were on a regular schedule of semen collection. The semen was extended with heated homogenized whole milk, cooled, glycerolated, and frozen according to standard procedures. Semen was distributed to a large group of inseminators to minimize differential field effects on treatment. All experiments were a randomized block design, including a split plot in Experiment 2. In Experiment 1, data for 31,399 first inseminations distributed among treatments of 20 x 10(6), 25 x 10(6), 30 x 10(6), and 40 x 10(6) total sperm resulted in 69.8, 70.0, 70.1, and 70.1% nonreturns at 59 d, respectively. In Experiment 2, data for 18,197 first inseminations divided over treatments of 12 x 10(6), 16 x 10(6), and 20 x 10(6) total sperm resulted in 70.2, 72.4, and 70.8% nonreturns at 59 d, respectively. In Experiment 3, 38,890 first inseminations distributed over treatments of 10 x 10(6). 13 x 10(6), 16 x 10(6), and 20 x 10(6) total sperm resulted in 70.5, 72.2, 73.1, and 71.5% nonreturns at 59 d, respectively. Bull nonreturns ranged from 64 to 76% in the three trials. These results indicate that, under good conditions, total sperm numbers per straw can be reduced to 10 x 10(6) total sperm with a reduction of nonreturn rates at 59 d, for most bulls, of about 1 percentage unit from the maximum when professional inseminators are used.