title: Effect of sperm count on the fertility and prolificity rates of meat rabbits.
abstract: The effect of sperm count per insemination dose was evaluated on fertility and litter size at birth. In the first experiment, 124 receptive multiparous does were inseminated with 16, 4, 2 and 1 million spermatozoa. Does were slaughtered 12 days after insemination and the number of implanted embryos were recorded. Does inseminated with 16 or 4 million sperm showed no differences in pregnancy rate (90%) and number of implanted embryos (10.7). Does inseminated with 2 million sperm had a lower pregnancy rate (66%, P < 0.05) and does inseminated with 1 million sperm had lower fertility (23%, P < 0.05) and number of implanted embryos (4.9, P < 0.05). In the second experiment, 395 receptive does in different reproductive status were inseminated with 16 or 4 million spermatozoa. No differences were found in fertility (74%) and litter size at birth (9.0). No interactions between sperm count and reproductive status were observed.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Viudes-de-Castro
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Vicente
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000502:physiology*; D007315:Insemination, Artificial / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D016014:Linear Models; D008098:Litter Size; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D011817:Rabbits / Q000502:physiology*; D012661:Semen / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D013076:Sperm Count / Q000662:veterinary*