The use of oestrous cows for the pre-collection preparation of mature bulls standing at an artificial breeding centre : a thesis presented to the Victoria University of Wellington in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Agricultural Science, Massey College, New Zealand

Copyright is owned by the Author of the thesis. Permission is given for

a copy to be downloaded by an individual for the purpose of research and

private study only. The thesis may not be reproduced elsewhere without

the permission of the Author.

'lliE USE OF Ol!..STROUS CQlh'S FOR THE J.RE-cOI.J..E'CTION

STANDING AT� .�'R'"H'ICIAL BREmiNG CmTRE

� - - - - - - -

A thesis presented to the Victoria Universit,y ot Wellington in partial fulfilment

of the requirements of the degree of Master of

Agricultural Science

- - - --- - .. - ---

L L. KAQIII.J.AN

Kaasey College, New Zealand

1.182

The

candidate

^wishes tc record hi indebtednes to the A

w

ahuri and liewstead Artieicial .Breeding Centre of the New Zealend

D ^iry Production ^am uark:eting Boam, as without their responsive

co-oper

tion this study would ^not have been p08sible.

.Particular ttw.nk must

be

extended to those members ot the taff at the Awahuri Centre who assisted in the tri 1. l'heir

consciencious application, intel'tot and advice did much ^{towards the} success

of the

experiment.

The ^interest nnd ^aupport sh� by ll.r. ^{J .c.} Newhook and Dr. D.s. Flux waa much ap})reciatcd. Mr. A.C.

Glenday'a

assistance ana advice with statistical problems wes accepted with ^gratitwe.

FinallJ,

the I-ecor<ling

of formal ^thanks does ^not adequately e:xpres the author's app ei ^{tion for} the c::ounseltng, the constructive

critici8m and the continuous inte;r'(·st shown by • .tr. E.D. lfielden, Superintendant of the Awahuri Centre.

TA.Br..A d[t' CCNTElfl§

Chapter Page

INTRODUC'fi(l{ ¹

Pari I

NEVIJ::i'f 0¥ LITERATURE

I

Tbe

Effects of Oestrous

C<'Ws

on Bull Behaviour

4

n

^.

·ajor ConsiderationB

f't.elating to

the �\anagetment

Bulls

and the Selection ^of

the 'teaaer

_Cows

2.1

frequency of Collection 2.

2

^Sexual ireparation

2.3 Interval Between ��rvicee

2.4 Seasonal ond Climatic Variations in ^:::emen Characte r1.stics 2. 5 feonen Collection

2. 6 Teaser Cow Considerations 2. '1 C oncl Uldons

of

^the

8 8 11

14 15 17 19 ZJ

III LaboratoiY Techniques Used in Mt:

osuri.ng

^{�eme n} i�uali ty and

3.1 Concentration of �>pem Cells 25 3.2 Assessment at Spel'ID&tozoan Motility 28

J. � Differential

Staining

of ^{r .. ive} and Deac1

Spem.atozoa 26

� 4

pB

^· aaurements _{of Se 18}

� 5

Initial

_ructoect

Concentration

_{at Se}

n

28 :5.6 aauretllellt of Sexual Respons

Cbaptor

IV V

PA!!T ll

THE .U.n::RI 1r. '1'A D.t:!.UGN

'l'he

Design

Adopted aiXl Its Limitationa Associated Experimental Techniques

5.1

.Pre-Collection

Preparation

5. 2 Stalling end Order at Collection 5.

3 The Collection

_ieg

.i?AAT

lii

31

VI Tbe Stock: Used ani 'i'heir .Management During the Trial tO ^·

8.1

^Bulls Selected for 1'h ^e

Trial

6. ^{2 Cows}

From

^{Which Teasers '',ere �le cted}

6. S

The

Collection Procedure

6.4 Deily SelJ!Ietion

of

The Teaser ^Cow 6. 5

Stock Management

VII Laboratory Techniques Used in Senen Assessment The Ueaauren.ant

ot

Sexual ^Response

'1.1 Vol of Semen

'1.2

Concentration

ot Sperm Cells '1.3

�

^Live

Sperm

'1.4 Jtotility Aasasmsnta

1. 5 ^{pH Meuunmenta}

'1. 6 Initial Fl'UCtoae Coo centra tUft

'1.

⁷ Jleaaurement of Sexual

apcmae

.0 4.0 41 44

45 and

46

46 46 4:7

48

•

10 :iO 51

Chapter

VIII IX

X

RESUL'l'S

Day to Dcy Variation in

Sperm Output

and Seman Volume Tre&t�nt <.:;:rfect;e ^on 'total

;)perm Output,

Total Se�t�en Volume and Avcrag: ��perm

c(..noentration

Page

61

9.1 TreDtwent ^r.ffect on 1'otal .::)pern Output

�1 9.

2 Treatment i:.H'eci ^on Total Vol� of ^�.:cmen

68

9.3 Treatment ^{J.,ffect on} 'Too lverege �pem Concentration 75

9.4 Sorrlc�

by

Treatmer.t Inter-actions

Tre.)tment :Effects ^on r_,a.bontory T€.sts .Applied &nd Sexual _Response

10. 1 Initial l'ructose Concentration 10.2 h rcentage ot ^LiYe Sperm

10.� Initial Motility Estimate 10.4 Initial pH and pi dlange 10. 5 Re-Action Time

l?ART V

80

89 89 92 9'1

102

108

Tbe Discussion and Intexpretetion of ^Reeulte 11.2

11.1

^'l'he AdequaCt:f of the

Experimental Design 11�

11.

^{2 Trea} nt Effects _{cm 'total} Spem Ou�ut 1 Semen Output &Uid Average S_pem COllOO'fttratiaft 116 11. 3 l'reat�Mnt Eftecw ^on Other

Se

:Latia

124