Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-pftt2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-05-30T17:09:48.528Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Short-duration insemination with frozen semen increases fertility rate in nulliparous dairy goats

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 October 2008

E. Houdeau ,
V. Furstoss ,
Y. Forgerit ,
J. L. Bonné  and
B. Leboeuf
E. Houdeau
Affiliation:
Unité de Neuro-Gastroentérologie & Nutrition, INRA UMR 1054, 180 chemin de Tournefeuille, BP 3, 31931 Toulouse cedex 9, France
V. Furstoss
Affiliation:
Unité Expérimentale d’Insémination Artificielle Caprine et Porcine, INRA, Centre Poitou-Charentes, 86480 Rouillé, France
Y. Forgerit
Affiliation:
Unité Expérimentale d’Insémination Artificielle Caprine et Porcine, INRA, Centre Poitou-Charentes, 86480 Rouillé, France
J. L. Bonné
Affiliation:
Unité Expérimentale d’Insémination Artificielle Caprine et Porcine, INRA, Centre Poitou-Charentes, 86480 Rouillé, France
B. Leboeuf*
Affiliation:
Unité Expérimentale d’Insémination Artificielle Caprine et Porcine, INRA, Centre Poitou-Charentes, 86480 Rouillé, France
*
E-mail: Bernard.Leboeuf@lusignan.inra.fr
Get access

Abstract

Standard artificial insemination (AI) using a speculum in dairy goats does not result in acceptable fertility rates in nulliparous does. An explanation might be the difficulties to pass the cervical canal in nulliparous females with the insemination gun, increasing the time needed for semen deposition. Nulliparous Alpine dairy goats were used to evaluate whether time interval from insertion to withdrawal of the speculum is a factor influencing pregnancy rates to first AI with frozenthawed semen. Oestrus was synchronized using fluorogestone acetate intravaginal sponges (FGA, 40 mg) for 11 days, associated with 50 mg i.m. of cloprostenol and 250 IU i.m. eCG 48 ± 2 h before sponge removal. In the first experiment (n = 52; 3 herds), the average duration of the AI procedure was 42 ± 10 s, with a median of 39 s. AI performed in less than 39 s resulted in higher pregnancy rates (75%, n = 28) than AI lasting for more than 39 s (46%, n = 24). In the second experiment, does (n = 325; 5 herds) were randomly assigned into two treatment groups according to a short (20 s) or long (60 s) AI procedure. We showed that the duration of AI affected fertility after a first insemination, and that pregnancy rate was significantly improved using a short-duration AI (61.2%; n = 169) compared with a long-duration AI (44.2%; n = 156). We have previously shown in the ewe that genital stimulation during AI enhanced uterine motility. Other authors reported a negative correlation between increased uterine motility at the time of AI and fertility rates in small ruminants. The results of this study suggest that rapid semen deposition may limit the reflex activation of uterine contractions provoked by the speculum and the movement of the insemination gun, and thus ameliorates reproductive performance to first AI in nulliparous goats.

Keywords

goatnulliparousartificial inseminationfertilityuterus
Type
Full Paper
Information
animal , Volume 2 , Issue 10 , October 2008 , pp. 1496 - 1500
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Corteel, JM, Leboeuf, B, Baril, G 1988. Artificial breeding of adult goats and kids induced with hormones to ovulate outside the breeding season. Small ruminant Research 1, 19–35.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Donovan, GA, Bennett, FL, Springer, FS 2003. Factors associated with first service conception in artificially inseminated nulliparous Holstein heifers. Theriogenology 60, 67–75.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Donovan, A, Hanrahan, JP, Kummen, E, Duffy, P, Boland, MP 2004. Fertility in the ewe following cervical insemination with fresh or frozen-thawed semen at a natural or synchronised oestrus. Animal Reproduction Science 84, 359–368.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hawk, HW 1983. Sperm survival and transport in the female reproductive tract. Journal of Dairy Science 66, 2645–2660.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Houdeau, E, Raynal, P, Marnet, PG, Germain, G, Mormede, P, Rossano, B, Monnerie, R, Prud’homme, MJ 2002. Plasma levels of cortisol and oxytocin, and uterine activity after cervical artificial insemination in the ewe. Reproduction Nutrition Development 42, 381–392.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Huhn, U, Fritzsch, M, Dahms, R 1977. Control of fertility outcome in artificially inseminated gilts and old sows. 2: Addition of oxytocin to boar semen. Its effect on length of insemination, pregnancy rate and litter size. Archiv für Experimentelle Veterinärmedizin 31, 561–566.Google ScholarPubMed
Kunz, G, Leyendecker, G 2002. Uterine peristaltic activity during the menstrual cycle: characterization, regulation, function and dysfunction. Reproductive BioMedicine Online 4, 5–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kunz, G, Beil, D, Deininger, H, Wildt, L, Leyendecker, G 1996. The dynamics of rapid sperm transport through the female genital tract: evidence from vaginal sonography of uterine peristalsis and hyterosalpingoscintigraphy. Human Reproduction 11, 627–632.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Langendijk, P, Bouwman, EG, Kidson, A, Kirkwood, RN, Soede, NM, Kemp, B 2002. Role of myometrial activity in sperm transport through the genital tract and in fertilization in sows. Reproduction 123, 683–690.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Langendijk, P, Soede, NM, Kemp, B 2005. Uterine activity, sperm transport, and the role of boar stimuli around insemination in sows. Theriogenology 63, 500–513.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Leboeuf, B, Manfredi, E, Boue, P, Piacère, A, Brice, G, Baril, G, Broqua, C, Humblot, P, Terqui, M 1998. Artifical insemination of dairy goats in France. Livestock Production Science 55, 193–203.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lehrer, AR, Schindler, H, Brown, M, Fischler, H 1979. The effect of mating, artificial insemination, and fright on uterine motility of the oestrous ewe. Animal Reproduction Science 1, 297–304.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leyendecker, G, Kunz, G, Wildt, L, Beil, D, Deininger, H 1996. Uterine hyperperistalsis and dysperistalsis as dysfunctions of the mechanism of rapid sperm transport in patients with endometriosis and infertility. Human Reproduction 11, 1542–1551.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lightfoot, RJ, Restall, BJG 1971. Effects of site of insemination, sperm motility and genital tract contractions on transport of spermatozoa in the ewe. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 26, 1–13.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Maurel MC, Leboeuf B, Baril G and Bernelas D 1992. Determination of the preovulatory LH peak in dairy goats using an E.L.I.S.A. kit on farm. 8th Scientific Meeting of European Embryo Transfer Association (AETE), Actes p. 186. 11–12 Septembre 1992, Lyon, France.Google Scholar
Overstreet, JW, Cooper, GW 1978a. Sperm transport in the reproductive tract of the female rabbit: I. The rapid phase of transport. Biology of Reproduction 19, 101–114.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Overstreet, JW, Cooper, GW 1978b. Sperm transport in the reproductive tract of the female rabbit: I. The sustained phase of transport. Biology of Reproduction 19, 115–132.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Paulenz, H, Soderquist, L, Adnoy, T, Nordstoga, AB, Andersen Berg, K 2005. Effect of vaginal and cervical deposition of semen on the fertility of sheep inseminated with frozenthawed semen. Veterinary Record 156, 372–375.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ponsart, C, Gerard, O, Caplin, S 2004. Insemination: history and state of the art in animals. Gynécologie Obstétrique et Fertilité 32, 880–886.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Raynal, P, Houdeau, E 2004. Comparison of the uterine reflex activity during artificial insemination and mating in the ewe. Journal de Gynécologie Obstétrique et Biologie de la Reproduction 33, 725–733.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ritar, AJ, Salamon, S 1983. Fertility of fresh and frozen-thawed semen of the Angora goat. Australian Journal of Biological Science 36, 49–59.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ritar, AJ, Ball, PD, O’May, PJ 1990. Aritificial insemination of Cashmere goat: effects on fertility and fecundity of intravaginal treatment, method and time of insemination, semen freezing process, number of motile spermatozoa and age of females. Reproduction Fertilility and Development 2, 377–384.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ron, M, Bar-Anan, R, Wiggans, GR 1984. Factors affecting conception rate of Israeli Holstein cattle. Journal of Dairy Science 67, 854–860.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sahmay, S, Atasu, T, Karacan, I 1990. The effect of intrauterine insemination on uterine activity. International Journal of Fertility 35, 310–314.Google ScholarPubMed
Salvador, I, Viudes-de-Castro, MP, Bernacer, J, Gomez, EA, Silvestre, MA 2005. Factors affecting pregnancy rate in artificial insemination with frozen semen during non-breeding season in Murciano-Granadina goats: a field assay. Reproduction in Domestic Animals 40, 526–529.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Suarez, SS, Pacey, AA 2006. Sperm transport in the female reproductive tract. Human Reproduction Update 12, 23–37.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Toutain, PL, Marnet, PG, Laurentie, MP, Garcia-Villar, R, Ruckebusch, Y 1985. Direction of uterine contractions during oestrus in ewes: a reevaluation. American Journal of Physiology 249, R410–R416.Google Scholar
Troedsson, MHT, Liu, IKM, Crabo, BG 1998. Sperm transport and survival in the mare. Theriogenology 49, 905–915.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Verberckmoes, S, Van Soom, A, de Kruif, A 2004. Intra-uterine insemination in farm animals and humans. Reproduction in Domestic Animals 39, 195–204.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zerobin, K, Spörri, H 1972. Motility of the bovine and porcine uterus and fallopian tube. Advances in veterinary Science and comparative Medicine 16, 303–354.Google ScholarPubMed