Effect of Sperm Concentration and Site of Insemination on Conception Rate of Rabbits

Abstract

A total number of 16 mature bucks and 190 monoparous does' of New Zealand White rabbits were used in this work. The aim of this study was to evaluate some reproductive traits and semen quality. The traits measured were semen-ejaculate; sperm motility; sperm-cell concentration; the percentages of live spermatozoa; total-sperm abnormalities and acrosomal damages by conventional technique. Pooled semen sample was divided into two homogeneous parts then diluted with glucose yolk citrate diluents. The dilution rates were 1: 5 and 1: 10. The kindling rate and litter size at birth were recorded. Results of first experiment showed that the ejaculates with high percentage of motile spermatozoa was 74.42 ± 3.34; low percentage of dead spermatozoa was17.02 ± 2.71; sperm abnormalities (14.39 ± 1.03); acrosomal damages prior to their inclusion in the final pool (12.26 ± 0.96), and sperm cell concentration (450.41±43.94). Results of second experiment indicated that the average length of the vaginal tract was 14.5 ± 19.5 cm. Semen dilution rate at 1: 5 resulted high significant (P<0.05) conception and kindling rates compared to semen dilution rate of 1:10. Similarly, the conception rate was increased significantly (P<0.05), where the insemination catheter deeply deposits diluted semen into vaginal tract to depth 12 cm, giving better conception and kindling rates than in the case of 4 or 8 cm.

Comparative efficiency of novel laparoscopic and routine vaginal inseminations with cryopreserved semen in rabbits

“…In the literature, there are contradictory results regarding the number of sperm cells required per insemination in rabbits. Rriad et al, (2016) reported that increasing the sperm number used per insemination from 16.8 × 10 6 to 33.5 × 10 6 increased the pregnancy rate significantly. Similarly, Alvariño et al, (1996) stated that reducing the sperm number from 26 × 10 6 to 20 × 10 6 resulted in reduced pregnancy rates and that further reduction the sperm number to 14 × 10 6 per insemination also reduced the litter size.…”

Influence of nano‐formulations of clove bud (Syzygium aromaticum) extract on freezing ability, antioxidant capacity, caspase‐3 activity, acrosome reaction and fertility of frozen rabbit semen

“…According to Eschborn (1985), AI was performed using disposable plastic curved pipettes (Imporvet, S.A.). Does were inseminated with 1 mL of frozen–thawed semen (75 × 10 6 ) and deposited deep into the vagina (12 cm beyond the pelvic brim; Rriad et al., 2016). At days 10–12 post‐insemination, pregnancy was established by abdominal palpation to calculate the conception rate (number of pregnant does/number of inseminated does × 100).…”

Artificial insemination in rabbits: factors that interfere in assessing its results

“…It showed to be 0.5 ml of diluted fresh semen containing about 1.6 × 10 6 motile sperm (Chen et al 1989), more than 50 x 10 6 motile sperm (Seleem 2003), diluted 1:3 with 80-100×10 6 spermatozoa/ml (López-Gatius et al 2005), diluted 1:5 with 6 x 10 6 spermatozoa/ ml (Lavara et al 2005), diluted 1:6 with 60 x 10 6 spermatozoa/ml (Zeidan et al 2008). Rowida et al (2016) found that increasing the number of spermatozoa (45.04×10 6 / 0.5 ml) in dilution rate 1:5 and deposit inter vagina at 12 cm improved conception and kindling rates while litter size was not affected. J Anim Behav Biometeorol (2020) 8:120-130 Sperm numbers required for optimal fertility can be reduced in case of deep vaginal-cervical insemination as an important factor in commercial AI of rabbits (Tantasuparuk et al 2011).…”

“…Therefore, one of the most important factors associated with high fertility with AI is the site of semen deposition inside the doe vagina. There is a difference in the length of the rabbit vagina which was showed to be 10.0 cm (Frandson 1981), 20.8 cm (Morrell 1995), 14 to 19 cm long (Rebollar 2011), and 14.5 to 19.5 cm (Rowida et al 2016). These differences may be due to strain and age of rabbit does.…”

“…Generally, the success in AI depends on many factors as semen quality, insemination dose, live and normal spermatozoa percentages, duration between semen collection and AI and depth of semen deposition in the female reproductive tract (Boiti et al 2005) and also receptive females and perfect inseminator (Rowida et al 2016). The rabbit vagina is a favorable environment for prolonged sperm survival, after mating or AI, sperm capable of fertilization are transported beyond the cervices leaving the seminal plasma behind (Drobniz and Overstreet 1992).…”