Quantifying between animal variation for male semen traits and female egg traits in an ostrich flock used to develop an artificial insemination protocol — ASN Events

Quantifying between animal variation for male semen traits and female egg traits in an ostrich flock used to develop an artificial insemination protocol (#37)

Schalk WP Cloete 1 2 , Maud Bonato 1 , Marna Smith 3 , Irek A Malecki 3 4
  1. Department of Animal Sciences, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch 7600, Western Cape, South Africa
  2. Western Cape Department of Agriculture, Research & Technology Development Services, Directorate: Animal Sciences, Elsenburg 7607, Western Cape, South Africa
  3. Department of Animal Sciences, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch 7600, Western Cape, South Africa
  4. School of Animal Biology M085, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, 6009, Western Australia, Australia

The development of a viable protocol for artificial insemination (AI) of ostriches may assist to overcome challenges to a structured breeding programme. Data were obtained from up to 16 males trained to ejaculate in an artificial cloaca and 36 females producing eggs in the absence of males being. Repeatability estimates across years (termed as permanent environment or pe²) or within years (temporary environment or te²) were estimated to assess whether current flock gains could be achieved by selecting particular animals. Male semen volume and libido were mostly affected by long-term pe² effects at respectively 0.38 and 0.32, while sperm morphology and sperm concentration mostly depended on te² effects, ranging from 0.09 for sperm concentration to 0.41 for the percentage normal spermatozoa. Permanent environmental effects were more important for semen motility traits, ranging from 0.03 for amplitude of the lateral head to 0.20 for straightness. Analysis of monthly female egg production and average egg weight records yielded estimates of 0.21 and 0.45 for pe² and 0.11 and 0.15 for te², respectively. Selection for better adaptation to the proposed AI protocol may result in current flock gains for some male and female traits.

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