Influence of Non-conventional Sperm Quality Parameters on Field Fertility in Ovine.

The prediction of the fertilizing ability of a seminal dose continues to be a primary aim in the field of artificial insemination (AI). To achieve this goal, in this study we have included the evaluation of some non-conventional sperm quality markers. A total of 3,906 ewes from 52 different farms were inseminated with 357 refrigerated seminal doses obtained from 45 mature rams.

Evaluating the reproductive ability of breeding rams in North-Eastern Spain using clinical examination of the body and external genitalia.

Background: Predicting the ability of rams to detect, mate and fertilise ewes in oestrus accurately is certainly difficult; however, tests based on clinical examinations have been performed to assess the overall potential capacity of rams to serve and impregnate ewes. Clinical examinations for breeding soundness evaluation were carried out in 897 Rasa Aragonesa (RA) rams from 35 flocks in North-Eastern (NE) Spain. Clinical examinations of head, trunk, limbs and genitals were performed in each ram.

Predictive capacity of sperm quality parameters and sperm subpopulations on field fertility after artificial insemination in sheep.

This study was designed to evaluate the relevance of several sperm quality parameters and sperm population structure on the reproductive performance after cervical artificial insemination (AI) in sheep. One hundred and thirty-nine ejaculates from 56 adult rams were collected using an artificial vagina, processed for sperm quality assessment and used to perform 1319 AI. Analyses of sperm motility by computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA), sperm nuclear morphometry by computer-assisted sperm morphometry analysis (CASMA), membrane integrity by acridine orange-propidium iodide combination and sperm DNA fragmentation using the sperm chromatin dispersion test (SCD) were performed.

In vitro assessment of sperm quality from rams of high and low field fertility.

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether differences in field fertility of rams are reflected in differences in several sperm quality parameters. Ejaculates from 8 adult rams, 4 with high and 4 with low field fertility, were collected weekly using an artificial vagina over 6 consecutive weeks. Analyses of sperm motility by computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA), membrane integrity by acridine orange-propidium iodide combination and sperm DNA fragmentation using the sperm chromatin dispersion test (SCD) were performed at 0, 3, 6 and 24h of incubation at 37°C.

Small ruminant lentivirus-induced arthritis: clinicopathologic findings in sheep infected by a highly replicative SRLV B2 genotype.

We describe the clinicopathologic features of an arthritis outbreak in sheep induced by small ruminant lentivirus (SRLV), linked to the presence of a new SRLV isolate phylogenetically assigned to caprine arthritis encephalitis virus-like subgroup B2. Thirteen SRLV seropositive Rasa Aragonesa adult ewes were selected from 5 SRLV highly infected flocks (mean seroprevalence, 90.7%) for presenting uni- or bilateral chronic arthritis in the carpal joint.