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Sperm Production of Hereford Bulls at Different Intensities of Collection¹

University of Tennessee-Atomic Energy Commission, Agricultural Research Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Abstract

Semen was collected from 16 Hereford bulls, 2.5 to 6.5 years old, by the finger electrode method of electroejaculation. Intensities of collection were: depletion at 7-, 3-, or 2-day intervals, collection of three ejaculates three times per week, four ejaculates twice a week, two ejaculates twice a week, and two ejaculates once a week.

Weekly depletion required an average of 20 ejaculates which contained an average of 20 x 10⁹ sperm in 260 ml. of semen. The first two, first four, and first ten ejaculates contained about 55%, 70% and 90%, respectively, of the total sperm. Depletions at 2- or 3-day intervals and collections of three ejaculates three times each week or four ejaculates twice each week produced about 15% more sperm then weekly depletion; two ejaculates twice a week and two consecutive ejaculates once a week produced 39% and 30%, respectively, of that obtained at weekly depletion. The individual bull variability in sperm output was much less for weekly depletion or collection of eight or nine ejaculates per week than the more frequent depletions or collection of four or two ejaculates per week. The mean sperm production per gm. of testis was 37 x 10⁶ sperm per week and ranged from 27 x 10⁶ to 47 x 10⁶. Sperm output at depletion was highly correlated with testis weight, while sperm output at two ejaculates twice a week or two ejactulates per week was not significantly correlated with testis weight.

¹ Published with the permission of the Director of the University of Tennessee Agricultural Experiment Station, Knoxville, Tennessee. The work was completed under Contract No. AT-40-1-GEN-242 between the University of Tennessee College of Agriculture and the Atomic Energy Commission.