Mass Sperm Motility Is Correlated to Sperm Motility as Measured by Computer-Aided Sperm Analysis (CASA) Technology in Farmed Ostriches.

Semen analyses have gained momentum in various livestock industries. However, in farmed ostriches, semen analysis is still in its experimental stage, and males are not screened for sperm quality before breeding. This study investigated the correlations between computer-aided sperm analysis (CASA) technology and the traditional, yet affordable, mass sperm motility score.

Minimum sperm dose for optimal fertility after artificial insemination in ostriches.

Artificial insemination (AI) in ostriches may present potential solutions to high proportions of infertile eggs commonly recorded on commercial farms and assist in reducing the number of males for breeding purposes thereby leading to a more economical and efficient farming system. Although non-invasive methods to collect semen and to artificially inseminate female ostriches have been developed, the insemination dose for maximum fertility of eggs remains unknown. This study was thus conducted to determine the minimum sperm dose that would promote fertility of eggs following AI in female ostriches.

Mobility of Japanese quail spermatozoa and its relationship to egg fertility.

Sperm mobility (SM) appears to be primary determinant of fertility in chicken and turkey. The aims of this study were to extend the concept to the Japanese quail by developing an assay to quantify SM, explaining the basis of SM using motility properties measured by CASA, and exploring the relationship between SM and egg fertility. The study was carried out in three stages: i) males (n = 20) and females (n = 20) were mated individually; ii) ejaculates were collected from 20 males, and SM was measured; iii) males (n = 20) and females (n = 20) were mated individually.

The effect of dilution rate and successive semen collections on sperm quality and sexual motivation of sexually mature South African Merino rams.

This study investigated whether dilution rate and successive semen collections influenced sperm viability, morphology, motility and male sexual motivation in sexually mature South African Merino rams (SAMR). Semen was collected from 11 rams up to either sperm or behavioural exhaustion. Semen was then immediately serial diluted to make 0, 2, 4, 8 and 16× dilutions with Hams F10 diluent.

Age-related declines in ejaculate quality and sperm kinematics vary among strains of Japanese Quail (Coturnix japonica).

For successful breeding programs, it is important to quantify the useful period of a male's reproductive life and it is often done simply by measurement of semen quality. This information is lacking for Japanese quail so we tested whether there is a decline in ejaculate quality and sperm kinematics with age, and whether the decline varies among strains. Nine males (n = 9) from each of 5 strains (A, B, C, D and E) were subjected to 4 semen collections (n = 16 per male) at 8, 16, 26 and 36 weeks of age.

Extensive human presence and regular gentle handling improve growth, survival and immune competence in ostrich chicks.

A total of 416 day-old ostrich chicks were randomly allocated to one of the three different husbandry practices for 3 months after hatch; HP1 (extensive human presence with gentle human voice, visual and gentle physical stimuli), HP2 (similar to HP1 but without physical stimuli) and S (human presence limited to supply of feed and water). Chick weight (kg) was measured at 6 and 12 weeks of age, while mortalities were recorded daily to calculate the survival rate. Finally, chicks' antibody responses to vaccination against Newcastle disease (NCD) was measured using the Hemagglutination-Inhibition (HI) test at 20 weeks of age.

The Effect of Extensive Human Presence at an Early Age on Stress Responses and Reactivity of Juvenile Ostriches towards Humans.

The effect of extensive human presence and regular gentle handling performed at an early age (0⁻3 months old) on stress responses and reactivity of juvenile ostriches towards humans was investigated. A total of 416 ostrich chicks over two years were exposed to one of three treatments for three months after hatching; namely, Human Presence 1 (HP1, = 144): extensive/prolonged human presence with physical contact (touch, stroking), gentle human voice, and visual stimuli; Human Presence 2 (HP2, = 136): extensive/prolonged human presence without physical contact, but with gentle human voice and visual stimuli; and the Standard treatment (S, = 136): human presence limited to routine feed and water supply as a control. At 7.

Correlation between objective semen analysis and fertility in Japanese quail.

This study investigated the relationship between sperm kinematics and egg fertility in Japanese quail in an attempt to identify a semen trait that could be used to predict male fertility. Males (n=45) and females (n=180) from five strains (A, B, C, D, E) were used. Ejaculates (n=720) were collected from 8 to 38 weeks of male age.

Developing a female-only flock for artificial insemination purposes in ostriches: Progress and future directions.

The development of a flock of females that can produce eggs and maintain egg production rate without the presence of males is a prerogative for a viable artificial insemination protocol in ostriches. Over six consecutive breeding seasons (May-December, 2009-2014), we recorded the egg production performance of 40 single-penned (ART) South African Black ostrich females (2-9 years of age), and compared these records with the egg production of 162 pair-mated females of comparable age from the breeding flock (BP). ART females laid significantly fewer eggs than BP females (mean±SEM: 3.

Roles of small RNAs in the effects of nutrition on apoptosis and spermatogenesis in the adult testis.

We tested whether reductions in spermatozoal quality induced by under-nutrition are associated with increased germ cell apoptosis and disrupted spermatogenesis, and whether these effects are mediated by small RNAs. Groups of 8 male sheep were fed for a 10% increase or 10% decrease in body mass over 65 days. Underfeeding increased the number of apoptotic germ cells (P < 0.

Nutrition affects Sertoli cell function but not Sertoli cell numbers in sexually mature male sheep.

We tested whether the reversible effects of nutrition on spermatogenesis in sexually mature sheep were mediated by Sertoli cells. Rams were fed with diets designed to achieve a 10% increase (High), no change (Maintenance) or a 10% decrease (Low) in body mass after 65 days. At the end of treatment, testes were lighter in the Low than the High group (PP<0.

Predicting ejaculate quality and libido in male ostriches: effect of season and age.

The success of artificial breeding program depends largely on the reproductive performance of males. Male performance can vary with season and age impacting on quality and quantity of semen collected for artificial insemination purposes and therefore fertility of inseminated females. We examined variation in semen output and male libido of seven male ostriches (aged 2-5 years) over a period of 24 months.

Under-nutrition reduces spermatogenic efficiency and sperm velocity, and increases sperm DNA damage in sexually mature male sheep.

We tested whether the quality of spermatozoa from mature male sheep would be affected during nutrition-induced changes in testicular mass. Merino rams were fed for 65 days with diets that increased, maintained or decreased body and testis mass (n=8 per group). In semen collected on Days 56 and 63, underfed rams had less sperms per ejaculate than well-fed rams (P<0.

The effect of temperature and pH on the motility and viability of ostrich sperm.

As the chemical environment of semen diluents can have a profound effect on sperm quality, we examined the effect of temperature and pH on the motility and viability of sperm in the ostrich. Semen was collected from four males, each male being replicated three times. Ejaculates were diluted and incubated for 10 min at 20°C and 40°C in four different buffers, temperature adjusted at pH 6, 7, 8 and 9 respectively.

Artificial insemination technology for the emu--improving sperm survival.

For the emu, where monogamous mating is normal, artificial insemination (AI) promises much faster genetic improvement and a considerable reduction in production costs by reducing the number of male birds needed for mating. Semen collection is now a routine procedure so the next step is to develop successful protocols for sperm storage. In this paper, we briefly overview our recent progress on the development of protocols for liquid storage and cryopreservation of emu spermatozoa.

Twice daily collection yields greater semen output and does not affect male libido in the ostrich.

The success of an artificial insemination program in ostriches is highly dependent on the yield of viable semen. We, therefore, tested how semen output is affected by three different collection frequencies: once every 2d (48h interval), daily (24h interval), and twice a day (6h interval). Ejaculates were collected from seven male ostriches (aged 2-4 years) for 10 consecutive days using the dummy female method.

Distribution of spermatozoa in the outer perivitelline layer from above the germinal disc of emu and ostrich eggs.

In the present study, we determined the distribution of spermatozoa in the perivitelline layer above the germinal disc (GD) of emu and ostrich eggs that had been laid at random intervals after mating. Eggs were opened, the perivitelline layer overlying the GD region was collected and sperm were visualized with 4',6'-diamidino-2-phenylindole under a fluorescence microscope. To map the distribution of sperm, the GD was divided into six areas (A-F), with A being the centre of the GD and F the area furthest from the centre.

Fertility of male and female emus (Dromaius novaehollandiae) as determined by spermatozoa trapped in eggs.

Changes in the fertility status of 10 pairs of emus were investigated using egg break-out and numbers of sperm in the perivitelline membrane of the germinal disc (GD) region. After the sexes were separated, sperm in consecutive eggs declined approximately logarithmically at a mean (+/-SEM, n = 10 females) rate of -0.148 +/- 0.