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Sperm Output and Fertility of Rabbits Ejaculated Either Once a Week or Once a Day for Forty-Three Weeks

Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

Abstract

Semen was collected with an artificial vagina from each of two groups of four Dutch-type rabbits for a period of 13 weeks. Following this 13-week preliminary period one group was ejaculated once each day and the other group continued to be ejaculated once each week for 43 additional weeks. The motile sperm output per week adjusted for group differences during the preliminary period was 93 x 10⁶ for the bucks ejaculated once a week and 351 x 106 for the bucks ejaculated once a day.

There were no significant differences between the average conception rate or average litter size for the eight does inseminated with approximately 20 million motile sperm from the bucks ejaculated once a week and the 12 does inseminated with approximately the same number of sperm from the bucks ejaculated once a day.

The body weights of the bucks in both treatment groups remained essentially constant throughout the 56 weeks of the study. Post mortem weights and histological section of the testes and adrenals revealed no signs of tissue damage in the two groups.

This study shows that rabbits may be ejaculated as frequently as once a day for as long as 10 months without impairing their libido, sperm production or fertility. The response of dairy bulls under similar conditions is being investigated.

¹ These data were taken in part from a thesis presented by the senior author to the Graduate School of Cornell University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.