COMPARATIVE EFFECTS OF TRIS EGG-YOLK ORANGE JUICE EXTENDER ON HEAVY AND LIGHT STRAIN COCKS SEMEN DILUTED AT DIFFERENT RATE

Abstract

Dilution of neat semen is advantageous, as more hens can be inseminated from a single ejaculate semen sample. This study was conducted to evaluate the optimum dilution rate of marshal and Isa brown cocks semen diluted with Tris Egg-yolk Orange Juice extender Preparation of TEY-O extender was done, and maintained at 37°C. Ten marshal and Isa brown of 30-40 weeks of age from Obasanjo farms limited were used. Pooled ejaculates of 10 cocks from each strains were collected into glass funnel per trials. Blood stained and contaminated semen was discarded. Semen was examined for individual progressive motility. The extender and semen were kept at 37°C 5-10 mins before dilution. Pooled semen with motility > 80% was processed for dilution. Ejaculated pooled Semen from each strains were divided into four equal parts consisting of eight treatments and diluted at different ratio with TEY-O extender; undiluted semen, diluted Marshal (1:2, 1:3 and 1:4) and Isa brown (1:2, 1:3 and 1:4) cocks semen. Diluted and undiluted semen samples were evaluated for motility, viability, membrane and acrosome integrity. A total of three trials were conducted. The Freshly diluted semen samples showed no significant difference (P<0.05) in all parameters evaluated. However, in marshal extended semen three folds dilution (1:2) had highest value, while in Isa brown, four folds dilution had highest value in most paramters. It is therefore concluded that semen dilution rate does not have significant influence on strains variability (heavy and light) and that both strains respond similarly to the different dilution rate.