Thesis Abstract

Effect of frequency of ejaculation on semen characteristics of heavy ecotype chicken raised in the derived savannah region of Nigeria was studied using twelve heavy ecotype cocks. The cocks were randomly assigned to three treatments with four cocks in each treatment. Ejaculation frequencies once, twice and thrice per week, with T1 representing once, T2, twice and T3, thrice were imposed on the birds. The experiment lasted for a period of eight weeks with a two-week pre-experimental period during which cocks were trained for semen collection and six weeks of semen collection schedule. Feed and water were supplied ad libitum during the experiment. Semen collected were analysed for volume, progressive sperm motility, percentage live and dead spermatozoa, percentage normal and abnormal sperm cells, sperm concentration and total sperm in the ejaculate. Result showed that ejaculate volume and total sperm in the ejaculate were not significantly (p>0.05) affected by the ejaculation frequencies while progressive sperm motility, percentage live and dead sperm cells, percentage normal and abnormal sperm cells and sperm concentration were all significantly (p<0.01) affected by the ejaculation frequencies. Cocks ejaculated twice weekly recorded the highest value sperm in motility 77.70 ± 0.99% , live 76.04 ± 0.90% and normal spermatozoa, 77.29 ± 0.85% while cocks ejaculated thrice weekly recorded the lowest values of 65.96 ± 1.87%, 66.38 ± 1.90%, 68.40 ± 1.p92% for motility, live and normal spermatozoa respectively. Also the cocks ejaculated thrice recorded the highest value for dead (33.44 ± 1.90%) and abnormal spermatozoa (31.59 ± 1.92%) while cocks ejaculated twice recorded the lowest values of 23.95 ± 0.90%, 22.70 ± 0.85% for dead and abnormal spermatozoa, respectively. It was concluded that twice weekly ejaculation gave better semen quality. Therefore, it is recommended that twice per week ejaculating frequency should be used for cocks for optimum semen quality and for high semen output.

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