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Heritability of Semen Traits and Their Relation to Fertility in Southdown Sheep^{1, 2,}

University of Kentucky, Lexington

Abstract

THE literature contains only limited information concerning heritability estimates of semen traits and correlations between these traits and measures of female fertility. Although specific estimates were not reported, Parker, Bell and Pinjani (1964a) stated that heritability of semen color, sperm cell motility, percent live sperm cells, percent abnormal sperm cells and sperm cell concentration was low in the ram. However, Clem et al. (1967) suggested that sperm cell concentration may be a highly heritable trait in the boar. Using number of lambs per ewe at birth and at 10 days as measures of ewe fertility, Parker, Bell and Meyers (1964b) found significant correlations between these traits and sperm cell concentration, percent abnormal sperm cells and semen color.

The purpose of this study was to estimate the heritability of, and the genetic, phenotypic and environmental correlations between, certain semen traits measured on yearling rams at the beginning of the breeding season, and to determine the relationship between the semen traits and subsequent lambing performance of ewes to which the yearling rams were exposed.

¹ Published with the approval of the Director of the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station as Journal Article 70-5-7.

² A publication of Southern Regional Sheep Breeding Project, S–29.

³ The authors are indebted to graduate students in physiology of reproduction who during the period of this study assisted in collecting the semen data.