Exposure to high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acid predisposes spermatozoa to lipid peroxidation, resulting in their decreased fertility. Ginger powder (GP), which is high in antioxidative compounds, was fed to aged breeder roosters to improve their reproductive performance. Seventy-five 52-wk-old Cobb 500 breeder roosters randomly received either 0 (GP0), 15 (GP15), or 30 (GP30) g of GP/kg of diet for 14 consecutive wk, during which time their seminal characteristics were evaluated every 2 wk. At the end of the trial, semen samples were tested for determination of sperm fatty acid (FA) concentration and seminal plasma total antioxidant capacity. Furthermore, sperm penetration was assayed, and using 225 artificially inseminated hens, fertility and hatchability rates were determined. Dietary GP improved sperm forward motility, live sperm percentage, and sperm plasma membrane integrity. These were associated with a decrease in the percentage of abnormal sperm. The seminal TBA reactive species concentration was lower in birds belonging to the GP30 treatment in comparison with those in the GP15 and GP0 treatments. The feeding of GP resulted in overall decreases and increases in sperm saturated and unsaturated FA, respectively. The n-6:n-3 FA ratio of sperm was decreased in the GP30 group in comparison with controls. The highest levels of sperm C20:4(n-6) and C22:6(n-3) FA were recorded in the GP15 and GP30 treatments, respectively. A higher percentage of sperm C22:4(n-6) FA was found in GP-fed roosters. Seminal plasma total antioxidant capacity was considerably improved by the GP15 and GP30 treatments. Further, a higher number of perivitelline membrane sperm penetration holes was recorded for the GP30 treatment in comparison with the GP15 and GP0 treatments. Interestingly, although hatchability, chick quality, and embryonic mortality were not affected by dietary treatment, fertility rate was improved by the feeding of GP. In conclusion, dietary GP improved most of the seminal characteristics evaluated in aged roosters of this study, suggesting that it has potential for use in attenuating age-related subfertility in senescent male commercial broiler breeders.
The aim of the present study was to estimate the effect of dystocia on lactation performance, using an incomplete gamma function. Data from March 2000 to April 2009 comprising 100,628 lactations of 65,421 cows in 204 dairy herds collected by the Animal Breeding Center of Iran were used. Of 100,628 births, 91.8% required no assistance, whereas 8.2% required assistance of some sort. Factors associated with the presence of dystocia were calving season, calving year, herd, calf sex, parity, and age of dam. Peak yield for primiparous cows with dystocia at calving occurred on d 87.2 [standard error (SE) 0.47], and for primiparous cows with easy calving, the peak of lactation was on d 83.3 (0.25). Peak yield was lowered by 0.39 (SE 0.07), 2.20 (SE 0.15), 2.22 (SE 0.21), and 2.54 (SE 0.32) kg for cows with incidence of dystocia compared with normal cows in parity 1 to 4, respectively. Dystocia was associated with decreased 305-d lactation performance in all parities, mostly in early lactation. Although more difficult births occurred in heifer calvings, loss in lactation performance was greater in second or later lactations following a difficult birth.
A hypothesis was tested that providing buffer solutions or antioxidants during egg storage may help embryos in combating the harmful effect of longer holding periods. Hatching eggs were obtained from a breeder flock (35 wk) and stored for 13 d before setting. In experiment 1, the eggs were injected (d 4) with bicarbonate buffer solution (BBS) or PBS. For experiment 2, l-carnitine (LC), vitamin E (VE), and vitamin C (VC) were injected (d 7) at 3 different doses. The egg internal quality characteristics were evaluated at 2-d intervals after injection and the remaining eggs were incubated for 21 d under standard conditions. At 21 d, hatchability was recorded and unhatched eggs were broken open to assess the fertility and stage of embryonic mortality. No differences were noted in albumen pH due to using buffer solutions or antioxidants except for a decreased pH at 2 d postinjection of the high dose of VC (75 mg). In ovo injection of BBS increased the albumen index and Haugh unit at d 6 postinjection; however, the response to PBS was not different from that in the control group. In ovo injection of antioxidants did not influence the albumen index, Haugh unit, and yolk index; however, the yolk percentage was partly affected. Irrespective of the dosage, hatchability was greatly decreased following in ovo injection of buffers or antioxidants (as low as 4.3 vs. 87.5% in control), with the highest mortality percentage recorded at early embryonic stages (d 0 to 6). Data suggested that, despite improvement in certain egg internal qualities, preincubational in ovo injection of BBS, PBS, LC, VE, or VC was associated with a profoundly decreased hatchability for which the underlying mechanism(s) remain(s) to be clarified.
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