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Seasonal variations on semen quality attributes in turkey and egg type chicken male breeders

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Abstract

A biological experiment was carried out in twenty-four adult healthy breeder males each in turkey (Beltsville small white) and egg type chicken (White Leghorn Babcock) in order to assess the seasonal influence on semen production and quality. The birds were maintained in individual cages under uniform husbandry conditions throughout the year. The birds were fed with breeder ration and water ad libitum was offered with a constant photoperiod of 14 h/day. Physical and biochemical characteristics of semen, serum hormones (testosterone and thyroxine), and antioxidant activity (catalase and lipid peroxidation) were evaluated throughout the year (January–December). Based on the THI calculations, the observations were classified under three different seasons, namely, winter (November–February), spring (March, April, and October), and summer (May–September). Semen physical parameters, sperm concentration, motility, live sperm percentage, and sperm plasma membrane integrity were superior during the winter season. In seminal plasma, biochemical parameters (phosphorus, ALT, ALP, AST, and uric acid) had a significant (P < 0.05) difference between seasons. There was a significant difference (P < 0.05) among serum hormones (testosterone and thyroxine) that were higher during the winter season. Significant variation was observed in catalase and lipid peroxidation antioxidant enzyme activities (seminal and blood plasma) in winter than in the other two seasons. Both the turkey and egg type chicken breeders exhibited superior seminal characteristics, sex hormone profile, and antioxidant enzyme activity during winter seasons.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi, and Director, ICAR-Central Avian Research Institute for providing the necessary facilities to carry out the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Avian Physiology and Reproduction, ICAR-Central Avian Research Institute, Bareilly, India

    Govinthasamy Prabakar, Marappan Gopi, Gautham Kolluri, Jaydip Jaywant Rokade, Beulah V. Pearlin, Gautham Sudamrao Khillare, Velusamy Madhupriya, Jagbir Singh Tyagi & Jag Mohan

  2. Department of Livestock Farm Complex, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chennai, India

    Govinthasamy Prabakar

  3. Division of Animal Nutrition, ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Bengaluru, India

    Marappan Gopi

  4. Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, USA

    Selvaraj Pavulraj

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  1. Govinthasamy Prabakar
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Correspondence to Marappan Gopi.

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Prabakar, G., Gopi, M., Kolluri, G. et al. Seasonal variations on semen quality attributes in turkey and egg type chicken male breeders. Int J Biometeorol 66, 1547–1560 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-022-02299-x

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