Prize Bull, Long Dead, Still Fathering Calves Through Frozen Semen New Artificial Insemination Method Produces Better Calves at Less Cost BY CAL BRUMLEY Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL Lady Phoenix, a soft eyed heifer calf grazing in a pasture near the small southern Wisconsin town of Milton doesnt know that shes something of a bovine marvel Her father was dead before she was even conceived. Lady Phoenixs father a bull named Cottonade Emmett died more than a year ago. But hell probably keep right on having children this year, next year and perhaps even longer. This is possible through the use of frozen semen, the newest extension of artificial insemination already widely used to improve the nations important dairy herds. The technique of freezing specially prepared semen solid at 78 degrees below zero, and preserving for years the delicate life of its germ plasm, was discovered a scant three years ago. Already, American Breeders Service of Chicago, the nations biggest artificial breeding organization, has bred successfully more than 10,000 cows with frozen semen. The New York Artificial Breeders Co operative has inseminated more than 2,300 cows with frozen semen, and a New Jersey co op has 200 cows pregnant by the new method. Breeding Better Bulls The importance of this method to dairymen and to consumers who ultimately benefit from dairy improvements is that it permits breeding more dairy cows with top quality bulls. Since cows generally have only one calf at a time, and bulls can be fathers thousands of times a year, the quickest and most efficient way to improve a herd is to mate cows to really top quality bulls, scientifically selecting parents so the offspring will be better than one or both of the adults. Unhelped by the science of artificial breeding, a prize bull can become a father only 30 to 50 times a year. With conventional artificial insemination using semen that remains virile only about a week the bull can pass along his blue ribbon qualities to perhaps 20,000 calves a year. But with easily stored and transported frozen semen, the bull could be a father 100,000 times a year. With frozen semen theres a tremendous possibility of a national or even a world bank of semen from the best bulls, comments R&bert Simpkins, Yardville, N. J., dairyman. That would enable a dairyman to select any bull in the world as a mate for his cows, place his order and get the semen whenever needed. Skilled technicians, armed with vials, pipettes and other paraphernalia, already drive rural roads taking liquid semen to dairy cows from regional stud bulls. Frozen semen would merely bring some minor changes in technique. More Milk, Less Cost The advantages of artificial insemination are a matter of record. Last year, for example, the average production of the nations test tube cows was 11,176 pounds of milk each, against an average for all cows of 5,447 pounds of milk. Besides producing better calves, artificial breeding saves a farmer money. Dr. H. J. Hill, manager of the Colorado A. & M. College Artificial Breeding Service estimates the cost per calf runs as high as 80 when bulls are kept on dairy farms in natural service. With liquid semen, artificial breeding costs are about 5 to 7 per pregnancy. Commercial cost for frozen semen hasnt been set because much of the work still is experimental, but so far charges have been on the same basis as for liquid semen. The high cost of natural service stems mainly from keeping the bull on the farm, dairymen say. Bulls are big eaters, so they run up the feed bill. Artificial insemination already has reduced the number of bulls pawing the rural countryside. Frozen semen could take Ferdinand off the farm altogether, relegating him to a paddock and barn next to a surgically clean laboratory. An example of possible reduction in bull population through frozen semen comes from Rockefeller Prentice, owner of the American Breeders Service. Mr. Prentice figures the 104 stud bulls he was using at the time of a recent survey could have been cut to around a dozen, by using frozen semen exclusively. So far, virility of frozen semen has been almost as good as the pregnancy rates achieved with fresh liquid germ plasm. But there are still some big problems. For one thing, semen must be kept at 78 below zero until immediately before use. Thats easy in the lab, but not so simple in the field. A possible answer is a liquid nitrogen cooled container selling for about 300 developed by Linde Air Products.