QUALITATIVE INDICATORS OF RAM-SIRES THAWED SPERM, FROZEN IN DIFFERENT PERIODS OF SEXUAL ACTIVITY
K.Grymak1, R. Pogranichniy2
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1Institute of animal biology NAAS, Stusa st., 38, Lviv,79034, Ukraine
2Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, 625 Harrison Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907, (765) 494-7607, USA
The purpose of our research was to study qualitative indicators of sperm productivity and its fertility depending on seasonal activity of such Transcarpathian and Carpathian breeds as Ukrainian Carpathian Mountain andPrecose,and localcrossbred rams (3/4 Suffolk x 1/4 Precose genotype) during breeding and non-breeding seasons. Qualitative indicators of ram thawed sperm, its activity in particular, taking into account the kinetic parameters using a computer program «Sperm Vision», the sperm resistance to freezing, surviving and the absolute survival indicator, fertility of the semen n wich was frozen in different periods of sexual activity, have been studied. It is established that the thawed sperm of ram-sires from the Ukrainian Carpathian Mountain breed, the breed Precose and local sires of 3/4 Suffolk x 1/4 Precose, which has been collected and frozen during breeding and non-breeding seasons, has good morphological quality and hight ability for ewes fertilization. However, the sperm conserved during the breeding period, has slightly higher fertility during the first insemination of sheep by 3.7–4.7%, and by 2.6–3.1% during all inseminations.
Sperm quality and fertility indicators of the Ukrainian Carpathian Mountain breed of ram-sires have been discovered to be slightly higher than those of the Precose breed and local sheep 3/4 Suffolk x 1/4 Precose ram-sires, which is most likely a result of the local sheep being more adapted to natural climatic conditions of the Carpathian region.
Keywords: SESONALITY OF SEMEN PRODUCTION, CRYOPRESERVATION, FROZEN-THAWED SPERM, INSEMINATION, FERTILITY, LAMBING, LAMB SURVIVAL
