South African indigenous bucks are raised under extensive conditions and are more likely to reject artificial vagina (AV) due to their limited contact with human beings, as they are less handled. The purpose of the st...South African indigenous bucks are raised under extensive conditions and are more likely to reject artificial vagina (AV) due to their limited contact with human beings, as they are less handled. The purpose of the study was to compare goat semen collection techniques used for goats based on semen traits of South African indigenous bucks during the natural breeding season. A total of eight South African indigenous bucks were used, four bucks per semen collection technique due to their scarcity. Before semen collection with AV group, ten bucks were trained and exposed to AV. Semen was then collected from both groups over a period of six weeks per individual buck. Semen volume, pH and sperm concentration were evaluated immediately. The Computer Aided Sperm Analysis (CASA) assessed the sperm motility rates. Sperm morphology was evaluated using a fluorescence microscope with the aid of eosin-nigrosin staining. Analysis of variance was used to test the differences among the semen collection groups following assessment by CASA. Semen collected with EE resulted in higher semen volume (1.1 mL) compared with AV (0.5 mL) technique. However, AV technique resulted in higher total sperm motility and rapid movement (91.9% and 48.7%), live sperm (72%) and sperm concentration (635.6 × 106 sperm/mL) compared with EE (86.3% and 30.4%;69% and 463.7 × 106 sperm/mL, respectively). There were no significant differences observed in pH and sperm morphology characteristics between two semen collection techniques. Moreover, EE had higher sperm moving in a progressive (53.6%) and medium rate compared with AV (41.1% and 21.9%) technique. It was concluded that the AV yielded higher total sperm motility rate, sperm concentration and rapid sperm movement compared with EE. Therefore, AV was more suitable for semen collection of South African indigenous bucks, even though training was problematic to such indigenous bucks.展开更多
Kolbroek pigs have numerous advantages as an indigenous breed including its contributions to food security. However, there are numerous concerns over the current feed regime that compromises its growth performance and...Kolbroek pigs have numerous advantages as an indigenous breed including its contributions to food security. However, there are numerous concerns over the current feed regime that compromises its growth performance and carcass quality. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the growth performance traits, attainment of puberty, backfat thickness (BFT), and carcass traits when boar fed diets supplemented with 10% (standard diet), 13% and 16% crude protein. Fifteen pigs per protein diets were individually housed and fed <em>ad-libitum</em> for eight weeks in a complete randomised design. Average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were measured on a weekly basis. At the end of the trial, all boars were slaughtered and carcass quality parameters measured. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated between growth performance parameters. Our data revealed that there was an increase in final body weight, ADG, ADFI accompanied by decreases in BFT and the age of attainment of puberty. There was also a positive correlation between ADFI and ADG (r = 0.78) accompanied by a low positive correlation between ADG and BFT (r = 0.12) with a high negative correlation between FCR and ADG (r = -0.94). The water holding capacity (WHC), dressing percentage and marbling mass appeared to decrease while the eye muscle area increased with protein supplementation of the diet. There were also increases in the lungs, liver, small plus large intestines and stomach with no changes in the pancreas and heart tissues. Accompanying these was observations that the meat colour lightness improved accompanied by a decline in meat redness and yellowness. In conclusion, supplementation of boar diet with increasing crude protein improved the carcass quality and growth performance of Kolbroek boars.展开更多
This study was conducted to determine the effects of increasing dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and antioxidants (Se and vitamin E) on spermatozoa morphology. At 24 weeks of age, Potchefstroom Koekoek cocke...This study was conducted to determine the effects of increasing dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and antioxidants (Se and vitamin E) on spermatozoa morphology. At 24 weeks of age, Potchefstroom Koekoek cockerels (n = 60) were selected from the base population. Cockerels were randomly allocated into five dietary treatments with 12 cockerels per dietary treatment. The diets consisted of commercial layer diet (CL), commercial cockerel diet (CC), modified layer diet (ML), modified layer diet +PUFA (MLP), and modified layer +PUFA+ antioxidants (MLPA) diet. At 36 weeks of age, six cockerels with ≥ 75% sperm motility rate following analysis by Computer Aided Sperm Analysis (CASA) were selected from the base population in each dietary treatment group. Semen volume, sperm cells concentration and dead cells did not differ significantly among any of the groups. However, live and normal spermatozoa were significantly higher in the MLPA group. The bent mid-piece, bent mid-piece plus droplets, proximal droplets and distal droplets were significantly lower in the MLPA group. From this study it can be concluded that supplementation of polyunsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants may be of vital importance for normal morphology characteristics of spermatozoa in Potchefstroom Koekoek cockerels.展开更多
文摘South African indigenous bucks are raised under extensive conditions and are more likely to reject artificial vagina (AV) due to their limited contact with human beings, as they are less handled. The purpose of the study was to compare goat semen collection techniques used for goats based on semen traits of South African indigenous bucks during the natural breeding season. A total of eight South African indigenous bucks were used, four bucks per semen collection technique due to their scarcity. Before semen collection with AV group, ten bucks were trained and exposed to AV. Semen was then collected from both groups over a period of six weeks per individual buck. Semen volume, pH and sperm concentration were evaluated immediately. The Computer Aided Sperm Analysis (CASA) assessed the sperm motility rates. Sperm morphology was evaluated using a fluorescence microscope with the aid of eosin-nigrosin staining. Analysis of variance was used to test the differences among the semen collection groups following assessment by CASA. Semen collected with EE resulted in higher semen volume (1.1 mL) compared with AV (0.5 mL) technique. However, AV technique resulted in higher total sperm motility and rapid movement (91.9% and 48.7%), live sperm (72%) and sperm concentration (635.6 × 106 sperm/mL) compared with EE (86.3% and 30.4%;69% and 463.7 × 106 sperm/mL, respectively). There were no significant differences observed in pH and sperm morphology characteristics between two semen collection techniques. Moreover, EE had higher sperm moving in a progressive (53.6%) and medium rate compared with AV (41.1% and 21.9%) technique. It was concluded that the AV yielded higher total sperm motility rate, sperm concentration and rapid sperm movement compared with EE. Therefore, AV was more suitable for semen collection of South African indigenous bucks, even though training was problematic to such indigenous bucks.
文摘Kolbroek pigs have numerous advantages as an indigenous breed including its contributions to food security. However, there are numerous concerns over the current feed regime that compromises its growth performance and carcass quality. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the growth performance traits, attainment of puberty, backfat thickness (BFT), and carcass traits when boar fed diets supplemented with 10% (standard diet), 13% and 16% crude protein. Fifteen pigs per protein diets were individually housed and fed <em>ad-libitum</em> for eight weeks in a complete randomised design. Average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were measured on a weekly basis. At the end of the trial, all boars were slaughtered and carcass quality parameters measured. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated between growth performance parameters. Our data revealed that there was an increase in final body weight, ADG, ADFI accompanied by decreases in BFT and the age of attainment of puberty. There was also a positive correlation between ADFI and ADG (r = 0.78) accompanied by a low positive correlation between ADG and BFT (r = 0.12) with a high negative correlation between FCR and ADG (r = -0.94). The water holding capacity (WHC), dressing percentage and marbling mass appeared to decrease while the eye muscle area increased with protein supplementation of the diet. There were also increases in the lungs, liver, small plus large intestines and stomach with no changes in the pancreas and heart tissues. Accompanying these was observations that the meat colour lightness improved accompanied by a decline in meat redness and yellowness. In conclusion, supplementation of boar diet with increasing crude protein improved the carcass quality and growth performance of Kolbroek boars.
文摘This study was conducted to determine the effects of increasing dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and antioxidants (Se and vitamin E) on spermatozoa morphology. At 24 weeks of age, Potchefstroom Koekoek cockerels (n = 60) were selected from the base population. Cockerels were randomly allocated into five dietary treatments with 12 cockerels per dietary treatment. The diets consisted of commercial layer diet (CL), commercial cockerel diet (CC), modified layer diet (ML), modified layer diet +PUFA (MLP), and modified layer +PUFA+ antioxidants (MLPA) diet. At 36 weeks of age, six cockerels with ≥ 75% sperm motility rate following analysis by Computer Aided Sperm Analysis (CASA) were selected from the base population in each dietary treatment group. Semen volume, sperm cells concentration and dead cells did not differ significantly among any of the groups. However, live and normal spermatozoa were significantly higher in the MLPA group. The bent mid-piece, bent mid-piece plus droplets, proximal droplets and distal droplets were significantly lower in the MLPA group. From this study it can be concluded that supplementation of polyunsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants may be of vital importance for normal morphology characteristics of spermatozoa in Potchefstroom Koekoek cockerels.
