title: Semen characteristics of the guinea fowl Numida meleagris meleagris.
abstract: Eighteen adult exotic Golden Sovereign guinea fowl (Numida meleagris meleagris) males identified by leg bands and housed individually in cages were ejaculated two times a week at 4- and 3-d intervals (Mondays and Thursdays) for 6 wk. Semen was obtained manually by gently massaging the dorso-lateral lumbo-sacral region. Semen collection and evaluation were done between 1400 and 1800 h each day of test. Mean semen volume was 0.032+/-0.001 ml, sperm motility was 37.1+/-0.1% and sperm concentration/ml was 2.62+/-0.01x10(9). Percentage live sperm averaged 91.6+/-0.1, while the mean percentage morphologically normal spermatozoa was 76.9+/-0.5. Primary and secondary sperm abnormalities were 11.9+/-0.2% and 11.3+/-0.2%, respectively. Birds differed significantly in all ejaculate characteristics studied except percent secondary abnormalities, indicating that considerable variation exists for improvement of these semen traits. There were significant bird x collection interval (P<0.05) and birdxweek (P<0.01) interactions for sperm concentration/ml and bird x week interaction for sperm motility (P<0.05). The results generally are within acceptable levels and show that the semen is suitable for use in artificial insemination.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria.
authors.forename: L N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Nwakalor
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Okeke
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Njoku