Name:___________________________ ________/30
Reproductive Technology Stations
Directions: You will move through the following statations. Each station you are
required to do the activity and answer the corresponding questions in complete
sentences.
Before you begin be thinking about:
What does reproductive mean?
What does technology mean?
What does reproductive technology mean?
Embryo Transfer Station
Directions: Watch the two videos below and answer the following questions in complete
sentences.
Start video at :54 seconds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cz2yjucflzk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78-XVxHqruA
1. Why would someone want to transfer embryos between different horses?
2. How long ago was the mare inseminated with semen? Why do you think they
waited that long to flush the embryo?
3. Describe the steps taken to flush an embryo.
4. Why is a special flush solution used?
5. Why was Syrinx Song an embryo donor?
6. Why is the vet cleaning the mare’s vulva area before flushing her?
7. What catches the embryo as it is being flushed out of the mare?
8. How does the vet determine if they caught an embryo?
9. Describe the technique the vet uses to place the embryo into the uterus of the
recipient mare.
Freezing Semen Station
Directions: Watch the video below and answer the following questions in complete
sentences.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgVoJB4AXPI
1. What are the 8 steps to freezing semen?
2. What 3 things are evaluated before freezing semen?
3. Why is sperm placed in a centrifuge?
4. What is the first step to freezing (after adding all of the extenders?
5. What temperature is the liquid nitrogen?
Sexed Semen
Read this article and answer the following questions in complete questions
1. Which type of sperm has more DNA, male (y) or female (x)?
2. What are 2 advantages to sexing sperm?
3. What are 2 limitations of sexing sperm?
4. Why would a farm want to use sexed semen? Which industry is this most
prevalent?
Collecting a Bull
Directions: Read the article from CSU, when you have finished the reading, watch the
video below. Answer the questions in complete sentences after finishing the reading and
video.
CSU Article
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIZ_B4aBnpE
1. What is one advantage of AI over natural insemination?
2. How many people does it take to collect a bull? List their job ‘title’
3. Why are cows/heifers not recommended for use as a teaser animal?
4. How does the artificial vagina encourage ejaculation in the animal?
5. Describe the AV.
Ear Notching
Watch this video and answer the following questions:
1. What do the ear notches represent? Which ear represents what?
2. How many notches can each quadrant have? What are the quadrant values? What
does a notched tip stand for?
3. What are the 5 steps to reading ear notches?
Using the ears in front of you, please notch the pigs ears for litter number 24, pig number
2.
Artificial Insemination
Directions: Construct a reproductive tract out of lifesavers
and a balloon.
Place 4 lifesavers on the neck of the balloon, wrap a rubber
around the end of the balloon. Look at the example.
Once your reproductive tract is constructed, use your “AI
gun” (straw) to inseminate..
Answer the following questions in complete sentences
1. What do the lifesaver candies represent?
2. What does the large end of the balloon represent?
3. What were some of your challenges in constructing
the reproductive tract?
4. What difficulties did you encounter when inserting
the straw in the lifesavers?
Castration lab
Directions: You are going to practice surgical castration.
Gather materials: one mock scrotum, a plate, and a scalpel. You are to remove each
testicle by opening the scrotum (push the testicles up and make the incision at the base of
the scrotum), finding and slicing the spermatic cord, and removing each testicle.
1. Grab a scrotum, scalpel, and paper plate (to avoid making a mess)
2. Pinch the tip of the scrotum between the thumb and first finger below the testicles.
3. Use the scalpel and make an incision below the testicals to reveal the testes inside
4. Pull each testical out of the opening, and cut the vas deferens.
a. Make sure to cut high enough so there is nothing hanging out the open
scrotum
5. Make sure to do this for both testicals
6. Show your instructor the completed product.
7. Clean everything up.
Using this website answer the following questions:
1. Is this the only method of castration? If not, what are some other methods?
2. What are advantages and disadvantages of surgical castration? (this information is
found ~¾ of the way down the page.
