Babcock's Semen Production and Delivery Centers

Quality, Security, and Reliability

THE GOAL of our semen production centers is to provide our customers with the freshest semen possible, allowing them achieve consistently high performance using Babcock genetics. Jeff Hall, General Manager of Babcock's AI Department and his dedicated employees utilize the latest technology in semen evaluation and processing, enabling Babcock to provide economically priced, high quality semen. Today, Babcock semen production centers service nearly one hundred different farms across four midwestern states. These farms range in size from less 100 sows to nearly 3,000 sows.

CURRENTLY, Babcock has three semen production centers, one in South Dakota and two in western Wisconsin. With nearly five hundred boars standing at stud, Babcock will have a total production capability of about three hundred fifty thousand doses annually. Collections are made every weekday, including most holidays, with the exception of Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

TO HELP INSURE BIOSECURITY, all Babcock's production centers are isolated from other pig production. In addition, Dr. Darwin Kohler visits the centers regularly to monitor animal conditions, health status, and biosecurity.

PROCESSING CENTERS utilize the latest in automated equipment for filling, sealing, and labeling each dose. This automation allows our technicians to focus their efforts on the evaluation and extension of the semen and other critical control points to ensure maximum accuracy and quality. All ejaculates entering the lab are evaluated for motility and morphology at line speed by a technician. During the past three years, we have integrated our semen processing labs so that information obtained at each stage of processing is returned to a computer database. Database records are analyzed for production parameters, semen quality trends, and as a research data recording tool. Through affiliate relationships, Babcock semen production centers are among the first to test and utilize new production technologies and tools, and remain at the forefront of semen dose production technology.

REPLACEMENT BOARS for our semen production centers come directly from our nucleus herd in Holmen, Wisconsin. To minimize genetic lag, boars are added and removed approximately monthly. Dr. Jim Schneider works closely with our production center managers to insure that genetically superior boars are in production at all times. Maintaining a close relationship with our nucleus herd insures prompt incorporation of genetic improvements for all Babcock A.I. customers.

USING CLIMATE-CONTROLLED vehicles, the Babcock semen courier service covers an area of over 50,000 square miles each week. Semen doses are packaged in 6-millimeter opaque plastic bags and sealed shut creating a static temperature environment. For transport, the bags are placed inside an insulated cooler to further protect them from temperature variations or handling damage. In the event of severe winter weather, each vehicle is equipped with portable electric coolers to maintain semen temperature in overnight situations. All drivers are equipped with mobile phones to enable communication between customers and drivers whenever unforeseen events occur.

BIOSECURITY IS ALWAYS A PRIORITY. Semen is never delivered directly into an animal or animal traffic area - only to offices, homes, and shops. Drivers use disposable plastic overshoes to make each drop, and carry Tektrol® and Lysol® disinfectants to spray anything that may come into contact with organic matter. Delivery vehicles, including undercarriages are washed prior to the next delivery route with hot water and detergent.

OUR DRIVERS are committed to completing the task our semen production centers began - prompt delivery of the freshest semen possible, while observing the highest biosecurity standards.