Semen characteristics of Uda sheep and the effects of the egg yolk and coconut milk-based extenders on the quality of semen preserved at 4 oC and -196 oC were evaluated. Semen was collected from six Uda rams using an electro-ejaculator twice a week for ten weeks. Fresh semen samples were pooled and analyzed macroscopically and microscopically. The pooled semen was divided into 2 aliquots. One aliquot was extended in OviPlus® and egg yolk. The second aliquot was extended with OviPlus® and coconut milk. Each of the aliquots was further subdivided into 2 parts and evaluated microscopically. One part was chilled at 4 oC and evaluated for the same parameters after extension at 24, 48 and 72 hours. Second part was loaded into 0.25 ml plastic straws for cryopreservation at -196 ℃ and analyzed after 24 hours. The post thaw spermatozoa motility, livability and morphological abnormalities were determined at 24, 48 and 72 hours. The motility and concentration of freshly collected Uda semen were 81.7 ± 1.7 % and 3.2 ± 0.3 ×109/ml respectively. After extension, the motility decreased significantly (P < 0.05) from 82 % at 3 hours to 17 % at 72. The percentage live spermatozoa of the chilled semen did not differ significantly (P > 0.05) between the two extenders. Post thaw spermatozoa motility and livability were significantly (P < 0.05) reduced. There were significant differences (P < 0.05) between the post-thaw proportions of morphological abnormalities, between semen preserved at 4 oC and the frozen-thawed semen. In conclusion, semen motility, livability, and morphological abnormalities of Uda ram are equally preserved in coconut milk and egg yolk-based extenders at 4 oC up to 24 hours post extension. However, semen motility and livability were significantly reduced in the Uda semen earlier cryopreserved at -196 oC after thawing.
This study was conducted to determine the effects of coconut, groundnut and Tigernut milk based extenders on some characteristics of Uda ram semen in Maiduguri, Nigeria. A total of 96 semen samples were collected using electro-ejaculator from six Uda rams, twice a week, for 8 weeks. Semen was pooled and divided into 4 aliquots. One aliquot was diluted with Oviplus® solution and egg yolk (Oviplus® + egg yolk) and served as control. The other 3 aliquots were extended with coconut, groundnut and tigernut milk-based extenders respectively. The samples were chilled to 5°C and evaluated for individual motility, livability and morphologic abnormalities. These evaluations were made immediately, at 24, 48 and at 72 hours post extension. The average semen volume, individual motility, livability, morphologic abnormalities, pH and concentration of semen analyzed immediately after collection were 1.35 ± 0.1 ml, 80.9 ± 1.5 (%), 75.8 ± 2.0 (%), 8.0 ± 0.8 (%), 6.9 ± 0.1 and 3.2 ± 0.2 (x109/ml) respectively. Furthermore, it was found that coconut, ground nut and tiger nut milkbased extenders maintained good semen quality of Uda rams till 48 hours post extension when chilled at 5°C and that the tiger nut milk based extenders have better semen preservative ability than the coconut and the ground nut milk based extenders.
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