Effects of frequency of semen collection on reproductive performance of male turkeys fed low protein diets during the breeder period.
Eight-week-old Large White male turkeys were fed ad libitum a 17% protein corn-soybean meal diet until 28 weeks old. At 28 weeks the average body weight was 14.2 kg and 75% of the males were producing semen. The turkeys were fed diets containing 8, 11, 13, or 17% protein from 28 to 53 weeks. At 53 weeks the average body weights were 17.6, 18.9, 19.0, and 19.2 kg for birds fed 8, 11, 13 and 17% protein, respectively. The turkeys consumed less of the 8 and 11% protein diets: .88 and .92 of the amount of the 17% protein diet consumed during weeks 28 to 53. Semen was collected one time (1x) (Tuesday) and 3x (Monday-Wednesday-Friday) per week from 20 turkeys in each dietary treatment. Semen volume averaged .29 and .21 ml per ejaculate for the 1x/week and 3x/week semen collections, respectively, with no effect of dietary treatment. Sperm concentration (8.28 x 10(9) sperm/ml) was consistent in all groups throughout the experiment. Fertility of eggs set and hatchability of fertile eggs was high (+91%) for hens inseminated with semen collected 1x/week from males fed 8, 11, 13, and 17% protein diets, respectively. However, fertility of semen from the 3x/week semen collection was 79% after the 1st insemination and increased to 92% after the 2nd weekly insemination. Overall fertility for the 10 weeks was 94 and 92% for the 1x/week and 3x/week semen collections, respectively.
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002149:Energy Intake; D005298:Fertility; D008297:Male; D012098:Reproduction; D012661:Semen; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000662:veterinary; D013076:Sperm Count / Q000662:veterinary; D014422:Turkeys / Q000502:physiology*
D004044:Dietary Proteins