Effect of semen storage time and number of spermatozoa inseminated on the fertility and hatchability of eggs from dwarf broiler breeder hens

Abstract

Semen from commercial breeder males was diluted two-fold and stored for 6 and 24 h at 2 to 3 degrees C. For each storage period, groups of caged dwarf broiler breeder hens from the same strain were inseminated with 300, 200 or 100 x 10(6) spermatozoa. Three replicates of 15 birds were inseminated per treatment. Control hens were inseminated with 150 x 10(6) fresh, undiluted spermatozoa. Inseminations were performed for 5 consecutive weeks during a first (32 to 36 weeks of age) and for 6 consecutive weeks during a second experimental period (42 to 47 weeks). During weeks 33 to 36 of the first period, only 24 h storage and 100 x 10(6) spermatozoa produced lower (P less than 0.05) hatchability of all eggs set than the control (84.4 compared to 88.6%). During weeks 43 to 47 of the second period, no significant differences between treatments were observed. Embryonic mortality, measured at different periods during incubation, was not affected by the storage time or the number of spermatozoa inseminated.

The effect of transparent fluid on fertility, hatchability and embryonic mortality following insemination of a normal number of stored fowl spermatozoa

“…Fertility and hatchability obtained with both pure fresh and pure semen stored for 24 h were high, with very small differences between treatments (Table 2). These observations are in agreement with previous studies (Van Wambeke 1984; Van Wambeke and Mestdagh 1986).…”

“…Using the storage method described here, previous experiments (Van Wambeke 1984) have shown that optimum fertility and hatchability after 24 h of storage were obtained with weekly inseminations, varying from 200 to 300 x lOb sp. hen-r.…”

Effects of high-density lipoproteins on storage at 4 C of fowl spermatozoa

“…In our experiments, the fertilization rates obtained with spermatozoa stored for 24 h at 4°C over the first 8 weeks of the experiment were as high as the highest levels reported in the literature (Lake & Ravie, 1979;Van Wambeke, 1984). In the young animals, there were no significant differences between fresh unstored semen and most of the treatments of semen stored for 24 h. It is possible that the number of fertile spermatozoa was so high that it partly masked the effects of the treat¬ ments on fertilization rates (Wishart, 1985).…”

Effect of different fractions of seminal plasma on the fertilizing ability of fowl spermatozoa stored in vitro

“…The situation is more confusing for stored semen. Lake & Ravie (1979) and Van Wambeke (1967, 1984 reported high fertility (89-97%) for cock semen stored for 24 h at 2-5°C in semen containing homologous seminal plasma and artificial diluents.…”