Livability and Fertility of Bovine Spermatozoa in Different Diluents

Abstract

By means of a 6 x 6 latin square design, 6 bovine semen diluents were compared. 60 semen samples from 10 Holstein bulls were subdivided into 6 portions and each portion diluted at a rate of 1:200 with one of the 6 diluents. Based on the % of 60- to 90- day non-returns to approx. 1850 first service cows per diluent, the mean fertility level for each diluent was as follows: phosphate-yolk, 50.5; 3.6 citrate-yolk, 50.5; 3.6 citrate-sulfanilamide-yolk, 55.3; 2.9 citrate-sul-fanilamide-yolk, 56.5; Ortho tablet-yolk, 56.4; Ortho liquid, 55. The avg. non-returns for the sulfonamide-containing diluents (3.6 citrate-sulfanilamide-yolk, 2.9 citrate-sulfanilamide-yolk, Ortho tablet-yolk and Ortho liquid) was 5 percentage units higher than for those diluents not containing sulfonamides (3.6 citrate-yolk and phosphate-yolk). This difference was significant at the 1% level of probability. Livability of spermatozoa during storage at 5[degree]C was satisfactory for all 6 diluents.