Title: THE FERTILIZATION RATE OF DOMESTIC HENS AFTER INTRAMAGNAL OR INTRA-UTERINE INSEMINATIONS WITH TURKEY SPERMATOZOA
Abstract: The possibility of obtaining hybrids between the domestic fowl (Gallus gallus domesticus) and the turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) with artificial insemination by the vaginal route, has been studied by a number of authors (Warren & Scott, 1935; Quinn, Burrows & Byerley, 1937; Asmundsen & Lorenz, 1957; Olsen, 1960; Poole & Olsen, 1967). Although the rooster \m=x turkey hen cross resulted in higher fertility (9% to 20%) than the reciprocal cross (0\m=.\8% to 5\m=.\0%), the potential exploitation of the former is limited by the relatively low egg production of the turkey hen. Therefore, it was deemed of interest to re-examine the fertilization rate obtainable in the turkey tom \m=x\chicken hen cross. In this laboratory, Wisoki & Soller (1968) inseminated S.C. White Leghorn hens by the vaginal route with semen obtained from Broad Breasted White Empire turkey toms. The fertilization rates, determined with the Kosin test (Kosin, 1944), were 1\m=.\2%and 2\m=.\8%with doses of 0\m=.\2ml and 0\m=.\4ml, respectively, at weekly intervals, or 3\m=.\4%with a dose of 0\m=.\2ml twice a week. Fertilization was limited to the first 4 days following insemination (Table 1). Since inseminations beyond the utero-vaginal junction have been shown to be more efficient than intravaginal inseminations under certain circumstances of intra-species breeding in the domestic fowl (Allen & Bobr, 1955; Yamane, Tsukunaga & Takahashi, 1963; Ogasawara, Lorenz & Bobr, 1966), the work of Wisoki & Soller (1968) was continued by the present authors with the use of 'deep' inseminations. Seventeen hens were inseminated in the magnum as described by Schindler, Ben-David, Hurwitz & Kempenich (1967) with a dose of 0-2 ml of a turkey sperm suspension obtained by washing the semen and diluting it to its original volume with Tyrode solution. Twelve hens died within 2 days after insemina¬ tion, with lesions of peritonitis, pericarditis, hepatitis and inflammation of the oviduct. Escherichia coli, isolated as the predominant organism from the affected organs, as well as from the turkey semen, was injected into the magnum of six hens ; four died within 3 days, while the other two discontinued egg production. Therefore, in the subsequent trials chloramphenicol was added to the sperm diluent in the amount of 500 ^g/ml, which had been found to be the maximum * Contribution from The Volcani Institute of Agricultural Research (N.U.I.A.), Rehovot, Israel.
Publication Year: 1970
Publication Date: 1970-03-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 7
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