HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: jas.2008-1714v1 87/6/1960    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Audet, I. Articles by Matte, J. J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Audet, I. Articles by Matte, J. J.

Effects of dietary vitamin supplementation and semen collection frequency on reproductive performance and semen quality in boars

I. Audet^*, N. Bérubé^*, J. L. Bailey, J.-P. Laforest and J. J. Matte^*

^* Dairy and Swine Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 2000 College Street, P.O. Box 90-STN Lennoxville, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada, J1M 1Z3 Centre de Recherche en Biologie de la Reproduction (CRBR), Department of Animal Science, Laval University, Quebec, Quebec, Canada, G1V 0A6

mattej{at}agr.gc.ca

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to assess the relevance of increasing the daily provision of dietary vitamins on vitamin metabolic status and semen characteristics of boars under controlled and commercial conditions as well as to evaluate the efficiency of this vitamin supplement to allow boars to cope with intensive semen collection frequency. In the first experiment, 39 boars were allocated to 2 dietary treatments, a basal diet (Control) and the basal diet supplemented with extra fat- and water-soluble vitamins (V). Within each treatment, boars were submitted to 2 regimens of semen collection frequency: 3 times per 2 wk (3/2) and 3 times per week (3/1) over a 12-wk period. Afterwards, all boars were intensively collected (daily) for 2 wk. A resting period of 4 wk followed, and all boars were collected 2 times per week. Thereafter, collection frequencies were reversed and the same procedure was followed until the end of the intensive collection period. A second experiment was conducted in commercial conditions at a commercial stud, and 252 boars were randomly allocated to the Control and V dietary treatments. All boars were collected 2 times per week over a 6-mo period. Classical measurements of ejaculate and sperm quality were assessed and blood samples were collected throughout both experiments to quantitate vitamin concentrations. In the first experiment, vitamin concentrations in blood and seminal plasma increased in V boars (P < 0.05), however, vitamin concentrations were not affected by collection frequency (P > 0.14). The dietary vitamin supplement did not affect sperm production or sperm quality (P > 0.28), although semen volume increased during the 12-wk periods for V boars (P < 0.05). The 3/1 boars produced fewer doses per ejaculate than 3/2 boars (P < 0.01); however, the cumulative sperm production for the 12-wk periods increased by 19% in 3/1 boars as compared to 3/2 boars. In the second experiment, blood plasma concentrations of B₉ were greater (P < 0.01) in V than Control boars. The vitamin supplement did not increase sperm production of boars (P > 0.61). In conclusion, dietary supplements of fat- and water-soluble vitamins increase the amount of vitamins available for the animal, and the collection frequencies had no effect on vitamin status. Moreover, in spite of an effect on the ejaculate volume, the dietary supplement of extra vitamins had no effect on sperm production or quality.

Key Words: boar • collection frequency • semen • vitamin