Beltsville poultry semen extender. 9. Effect of storage temperature on turkey semen held eighteen hours.
Turkey semen was collected, diluted 1:1 with Beltsville Poultry Semen Extender, and held for 0 or 18 hr at 5, 15, 25, or 35 C. Changes in spermatozoa motility and sperm numbers were monitored before and after holding. All hens were artificially inseminated (AI) with 250 X 10(6) spermatozoa three times the first week and once weekly thereafter for a total of 20 weeks. No significant differences were observed in candling fertility (85 vs. 82%) of hens AI with unstored semen or semen held at 5 C for 18 hr. Significant depression of fertility levels to 41 and 40% were noted in hens AI with semen stored at 15 and 25 C, respectively. No fertile eggs were obtained from hens AI with semen held at 35 C for 18 hr. Sperm motility scores were not different between the unstored controls and samples held at 5 C (62 vs. 64%). Samples held at 15 and 25 C had motility scores of 40 and 8%, respectively. Samples held at 35 C for 18 hr were immotile. As semen holding temperature increased from 5 to 35 C, sperm numbers decreased during the 18 hr holding period by 11, 16, 28, and 45% of the unstored control. The decrease in sperm numbers during the 18-hr holding period was speculated to be the result of sperm aging which was compounded by sample agitation during storage. The methodology used for determining sperm numbers did not adversely influence the results.
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D007315:Insemination, Artificial / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D012662:Semen Preservation / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D013076:Sperm Count / Q000662:veterinary; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology*; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors; D014422:Turkeys / Q000502:physiology