Date of Graduation

Spring 2008

Degree

Master of Natural and Applied Science in Agriculture

Department

College of Agriculture

Committee Chair

Gary Webb

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to compare the affects of chicken vs. chukar (Alectoris chukar) egg yolk on post thaw motility of stallion spermatozoa. In each experiment, three ejaculates were collected from each of 4 stallions. Following collection, aliquots of each ejaculate were diluted 1:1 with INRA 96TM (IMV, International) , centrifuged, and resuspended with one of eight fast freeze or eight slow freeze extenders to a final concentration of 150 x 106 sperm/ml. Aliquots frozen using the fast freeze method were diluted with extenders consisting of Lactose-EDTA containing 4% glycerol and 13, 16, 19, or 22% of either chicken or chukar egg yolk and were allowed to equilibrate at 23oC for 30 minutes. Aliquots frozen using the slow freeze method were diluted in INRA 96TM supplemented with 4% glycerol and 2, 4, 6, or 8 % of either chicken or chukar egg yolk. Aliquots were placed in a 23oC water bath for cooling to 4oC over a 2 hour period. Aliquots from both methods were frozen and stored in liquid nitrogen until evaluation. There was no significant difference in post-thaw motility parameters due to egg yolk source or freezing method. Neither source nor percentage of egg yolk affected the post thaw percentage of intact acrosomes.

Keywords

Stallion, semen, egg yolk, chicken, chukar

Subject Categories

Agriculture

Copyright

© Sarah E. Harmon

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