Exam 2: Sperm collection Flashcards
what are the two ways we can collect sperm
mounting a sow/gilt in estrus (rare)
mounting a dummy sow (more common)
How is sperm collected using the mounting a sow/gilt in the estrus method
boar mount gilt/sow
penis is diverted from female to collection vesicle
collecting using the mounting a dummy sow
preferred
boar is trained to mount dummy
most boar studs have separate collection area and pen
problems with using mounting a sow/gilt in the estrus method
not as hygienic
difficult to do
boar may be too big for female
sows may walk around pen
pros of using the mounting a dummy sow method
female not required
adjustable height
good footing around the dummy makes it easier for boar
cleaner
can be cleaned
saliva from previous boar can help with arousal
after the boar has mounted the dummy, what needs cleaned
preputial opening and surrounding areas need cleaned with disposable wipe
hair may need to be trimmed
after the boar has mounted the dummy, what needs to be cleaned
preputial opening and surrounding areas need cleaned with disposable wipe
hair may need to be trimmed
why does the collector wear 2 pairs of gloves
the collector will massage the penis through the prepuce and evacuate preputial fluids in the prepuce
once boar extends his penis out of his sheath and thrust, the 1st pair comes off
then with the second pair of gloves on, the collector will grab the penis and apply pressure
the first few jets of ejaculate function to
flush out the urethra
should be allowed to go to the ground
clear, watery containing NO SPERM and HIGH BACTERIA
what is a common collection vesicle used in sperm collection
pre-warmed (100F) insulated thermos or styrofoam cup with a filter
should the gel-like fraction be filtered out of ejaculated
YES
a minimum of _____________ minutes is necessary for a boar to complete ejaculation with the average being ___________ minutes
5-7
7-15
Ejaculate volume can vary depending on
boar’s age
boars size
collection technique
frequency of technique
the complete process of collection
- boar investigates and mounts dummy
- prepuce cleaned
- massage prepuce
- remove the outer glove
- collector applies pressure to the corkscrew portion of the penis once extended from the sheath (uniform pressure, hold perpendicular)
- first part of ejaculate is discarded
- once thrusting stops, start collection
T/F latex kills sperm
TRUE
after sperm collection is complete, what is done
it is sent to the lab for evaluation and processing
high quality boar semen is essential for obtaining
satisfactory fertility rates
standard test uses to evaluate boar semen quality include
motility
morphology
concentration
normal semen appearance/consistency
milky, creamy consistancy
normal semen color
grey-white to white in color
**yellow, red= infection
normal semen total volume
200-400 mL
normal semen total sperm numbers
60-130 billion
**young= ~40 billion
**# drop if sick
normal semen: motile sperm
80%
normal semen: cytoplasmic droplets
less than 15%
what is a cytoplasmic droplet and what causes it
extra fluid at tail and head
caused by injury, heat stress, general stress
examples of sperm morphology problems
short
detached
coiled tail
bent tail
factors that influence sperm quality
breeds/lines
testicle size and weight
age
sperm abnormalities
social
season
temp
how does temp affect sperm quality
14 and lower impacts fertility because too much body heat is used to stay warm
85 or higher reduces production and motility causing higher protein in semen and reduced shelf life
how does season affect sperm quality
highest production: September - February
lowest production: march - august
what is the most important factor in terms of sperm development
temperature
how does social affect sperm quality
physical isolation lowers ejaculate quantity
how does sperm abnormalities affect sperm quality?
takes 14 days to appear in ejaculate formed during time of stress or injury to travel to epididymis
length of appearance in ejaculate depends on severity and length of stress
cytoplasmic droplets frequently seen in boars experiencing heat stress
how does age affect sperm quality
boars under 1yr: collect once a week
boars over a 1yr: collect 2x week (can decrease morph and fertility)
old boars (6+): more sperm abnormalities
lower conception rates
smaller litters
how does testicle size and weight affect sperm quality
weight:
correlated to sperm output
correlated to the level of testosterone produced
size (length and width):
related to the age of puberty in male and female offspring
no relation to sperm production or fertility
how does breed/lines affect sperm quality
meishan: more motile sperm earlier than U.S and europen breeds
maternal= normally more sperm
3 main ways of semen processing
extended (most common)
pooled
semen from a particular boar
why is extended semen used most often
can be used up to 10 days post collection
greatest farrowing rate and litter size in achieved within 24-48 hours after collection
increases shelf life
increases number of doses
what do extender packages have in them
normally a powder
glucose (food for sperm)
sodium citrate
sodium bicarbonate (buffer)
antibiotics (prevent bacterial growth)
total number of sperm/dose of extended semen ranges from
2-6 billion
1 dose= 60-120mL
how is extended sperm packaged/stored
bags, bottles, tubes
avg dose= 65-85ml
store in dark place 57-64 degrees
gently agitate/rotate at least 2x/ day
what is pooled semen
mixing semen from different (similar lines or genetics) boars for processing semen for AI
3-6 ejaculates are pooled
used in COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION ONLY
why is pooled semen good
3-6 ejaculates
increase lab efficiency
reduces fertility differences of boars
less expensive
semen from a particular boar is used in
purebred operations where producers need to know the exact lineage of offspring
why dont we normally freeze sperm with pigs
doesnt freeze well
bad fertility rates
no genetics to fall back on
do we use raw semen
NO
