Sperm samples were collected from the epididymides of 11 hunter-killed stags (Cervus elaphus hippelaphus) within 2 to 17 h post mortem in September 1991. Progressively motile spermatozoa were diluted and deep-frozen in tris-yolk extender by a procedure routinely used for bovine semen. The pre-freezing motility of spermatozoa from 6 stags was higher than 80%, while the sperm of 5 animals was found to be unsuitable for dilution. In the post-thawed sperm of six stags 40-50% of the spermatozoa showed progressive motility and the number of viable spermatozoa ranged from 8.6 to 26.7 x 10(6) per 0.25 ml straw. Two years later, three hinds were superovulated by the use of a progesterone-releasing intravaginal device (CIDR type G, Carter, Holt Harvey Plastic Products Group Ltd., Hamilton, New Zealand) for a period of 14 days and with follicle stimulating hormone (Folicotropin inj., Spofa, Prague). Each hind was inseminated artificially 60 h after the withdrawal of CIDR with thawed sperm injected into the uterus via the vagina. Seven days later the uteri were flushed out, as a result of which 3 early blastocysts + 1 ovum, 3 morulae + 4 ova, and 1 morula + 7 ova, respectively, were recovered from the three hinds. Deer embryos were frozen according to a glycerol-based freezing protocol. A further two years later two hinds were oestrus-synchronised with CIDR type G and 300 IU PMSG (Folligon inj., Intervet, NL), and two of the thawed embryos were transplanted into two recipient hinds 7 days after heat. One of these gave birth to a normal stag fawn in June 1996. This was the first deer born in Hungary from embryo transfer. The results obtained indicate that sperm from top stags shot in the course of hunting can prove useful for the preservation of genetic material or in the development of the farmed deer system.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of rectal temperature (RT) as well as artificial insemination (AI) technique on pregnancy rates in Holstein cows and artificial insemination or embryo transfer (ET) techniques in Holstein heifers during summer. The experiments were conducted on five dairy farms in Hungary, where 1 631 data were examined. The RT was measured immediately before reproductive techniques using a digital thermometer. The effects of animal group and month on RT were analysed. The enhancement of RT until September can be seen in heifers, but the highest RT of cows occurred during July. In line with the enhancement of RT the pregnancy rate decreased in all groups; the lowest (cows) and the highest (heifers) value was observed in July. Moderate to high negative coefficients of correlation were detected between rectal temperature and pregnancy rate for particular groups (r = −0.3 – −0.7). More than 92% of ET, 48% and 16% of inseminated heifers and cows were pregnant up to the category of 39.1°C of RT, above this it did not change considerably in the inseminated groups. In inseminated animals with RT higher than 39.1 °C significantly higher services per conception could be observed contrary to ET heifers. ET may become a more effective strategy to improve pregnancy success in heifers compared to AI during summer.

A simultaneous live/dead and acrosome staining, originally described for domestic mammals, was successfully applied on red deer (Cervus elaphus) and fallow deer (Dama dama) spermatozoa collected from the cauda epididymidis and vas deferens of shot stags. The staining is simple enough for routine application. Seven classes of spermatozoa were distinguished in the smears of frozen/thawed semen samples. Morphology, including cytoplasmic droplets, was evaluated as well. Percentage of live cells with intact acrosomes and with no other morphological aberrations might be a practical index of semen quality.