So I suppose since pellets are newer there is no way to know just how many years they will be viable?

Cati,

Straws are easier for the average vet to deal with when preparing to perform a frozen semen insemination. The thaw process is very straight forward with straws.

Pellets give the individual doing the freezing greater flexibility as far as portioning out the number of total sperm needed to ensure the minimum number of post-thaw progressively motile and morphologically normal sperm are included in each breeding.

We freeze in straws where I work. My personal experience in thawing semen processed by others in both straws and pellets is that the quality is generally better over all in semen frozen in straws.

Dan

It is my understanding that the pellet format is the newer/improved method of storing semen.
So I would guess there was a demonstrate-able benefit to using pellets?
I have not yet used frozen for a litter, but an planning later this year or early next to use a stud that is only available frozen in straws. I'm also interested in opinions from those that have done breedings with both.

Thanks toots!

Though pellets may be the "newer" method, it isn't really new.

ICSB & Camelot Farms freezing systems both result in pellets for storage. Each of those systems has been around for decades.

In both cases, straws or pellets, I think the quality and viability over time depend on the extender(s) that are used in the freezing process, the attention to detail in timing the stages of the freezing process and the conditions under which the frozen semen is stored.

Of course all of that being done correctly can mean nothing if the semen isn't thawed correctly.

Dan