J. Anim Sci.
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J. Anim Sci. 1972. 34:762-766.
© 1972 American Society of Animal Science
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Variation among Boars in Semen Characteristics and Fertility1

W. L. Singleton2 and D. R. Shelby3

South Dakota State University, Brookings 57006

Abstract

The male influence on conception rate and early embryonic mortality is an important factor in the reproductive efficiency of a livestock breeding herd (Parker, Bell and Meyers, 1964; Hulet, Foote and Blackwell, 1965; Wiltbank, Rowden and Ingalls, 1965). Attempts have been made to correlate semen characteristics and fertility to prevent the use of sterile or sub-fertile males in the breeding herd. However, these attempts have had rather limited success.

The present study was designed to study the variation of certain semen characterists between boars and between ejaculates within boars and the relationship between these semen characteristics and fecundity in the gilt.

Six mature Yorkshire boars of unknown fertility were used in this experiment. They were housed two boars per pen with free access to a concrete exercise area outside their shelters. Each boar was hand-fed daily 2.25 kg of a 16.7% protein ration.

The sperm-rich fraction of the ejaculate was collected from each boar by the gloved hand technique (Herrick and Self, 1962) every 48 hr. with three boars being collected each day.

Footnotes

1 Approved for publication by the Director, Agricultural Experiment Station, South Dakota State University, Brookings, as Journal Series No. 991.

2 Present address: Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana 47907.

3 Present address: Department of Agriculture, Northwest Missouri State College, Maryville, Missouri 64468.






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Copyright © 1972 by the American Society of Animal Science.