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Sex Ratio in Rabbits from Semen Subjected to Altered Atmospheric Pressure

Animal Physiology and Genetics Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, Maryland 20750 and and Department of Agriculture, Adelaide, South Australia

Abstract

Rabbit semen was subjected to vacuums of 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 cm of Hg for 10 or 15 min. or to increased pressures of 10, 20 or 30 cm of Hg for 10 minutes. Does were inseminated with the treated semen, or an untreated aliquot, and killed 28 days later when fetuses were examined and sexed. The 28 does inseminated with untreated semen had 135 fetuses of which 52.6% were males. Results in the vacuum groups were: 10 cm—17 does, 85 fetuses, 54.1% males; 15 cm—17 does, 89 fetuses, 52.8% males; 20 cm—15 does, 101 fetuses, 44.6% males, 25 cm—six does, 42 fetuses, 59.5% males; and 30 cm—six does, 34 fetuses, 47.1% males. Pressure group results were: 10 cm—six does, 43 fetuses, 48.8% males; 20 cm—five does,, 45 fetuses, 46.7% males; and 30 cm—six does, 24 fetuses, 54.2% males. None of the treated group sex ratios were significantly different from the untreated group ratio. These results fail to support the hypothesis that the sex ratio can be affected by subjecting semen to pressure or vaccum.