ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION IN POULTRY

ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION IN POULTRY

Sayed Nabil Abedin¹ and Toshimongla Aier²

1. D scholar, Dept. of Veterinary Physiology, College of Veterinary Science, AAU, Khanapara
2. scholar, Dept. of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Veterinary Science, AAU,Khanapara

Introduction

The manual transfer of sperm into the female’s vagina is known as artificial insemination (AI). In essence, it’s a two-step process: first, harvest sperm from the male, and then inseminate the sperm into the female. In the 1920s, artificial insemination was originally used in the United States, and by the late 1950s, it had spread throughout Australia thanks to the advent of laying cages. The geneticist’s preferred method for preserving pedigreed mating is artificial insemination. Artificial insemination (AI) is a significant strategy for improving the reproductive success of birds, particularly broiler breeders and turkeys with low fertility due to their large body weight.

Despite the fact that AI is a well-developed technique in cattle, it is not so well-developed in poultry because there is no standard technique for storing poultry sperm for a long period of time. Utilizing current procedures, semen can be collected and used for insemination immediately, with or without dilution, using semen diluents at a 1: 2 ratio. Depending on the volume of sperm and sperm concentration, one cock’s sperm is enough to inseminate 5 to 10 hens.

Males are maintained separately in individual cages on farms where AI is employed, with enough space for the birds to wander about. A dedicated team of workers should be assigned to the collecting and insemination of sperm. Birds’ usual behaviour may be affected by frequent personnel changes in the team. Rough handling should be avoided; otherwise, a fear reaction may develop, affecting the volume of semen during ejaculation.

Poultry Semen Characteristics:

Spermatozoa and seminal plasma make up sperm. The sperm of fowls is usually very concentrated (3 to 8 billion spermatozoa per ml) for broiler fowl. This is owing to the absence of supplementary reproductive organs in bird species, which results in a limited amount of seminal plasma. The testes and excurrent ducts provide the seminal plasma. A lymph-like fluid (also known as translucent fluid) of cloacal origin may be added to the semen in different volumes after ejaculation. The addition of clear fluid to sperm after ejaculation acts as an activating medium for previously non-motile spermatozoa, ensuring their passage from the site of deposition to the sperm storage tubules in the hen’s oviduct’s utero-vaginal junction.

Cocks typically begin producing sperm at the age of 16 weeks, however the fertilising potential of the sperm is limited. As a result, cocks as young as 22 or 24 weeks are employed for semen collecting. White or pearly white is the natural colour of fowl sperm. Males of heavy breeds can generate 0.75 to 1 ml of sperm, whereas, light breed males can produce 0.4 to 0.6 ml. A man can be employed for semen collection three times a week with a one-day break between each time. The fertilising capacity will not be affected by daily semen collection, however the volume of semen will be reduced.

Equipment needed for A.I:

• Small glass funnel with wax filled stem.
• Inseminating syringe.
• Wide mouthed glass vial.
• Small pyrex semen cup.
• Large flask to retain water at 180 to 200 degree Celsius for short term holding of semen.

Steps in AI:

In poultry, artificial insemination is a three-step process that includes semen collection, dilution, and insemination. If ‘neat’ (undiluted) semen is to be utilized for inseminations within 30 minutes of collection, the second step can be skipped.

Semen collection

The manual collection (milking) of the semen is the initial stage in the AI procedure. A team of two people is usually involved in semen collection, one to confine the male and the other to collect the sperm.

A person holding the bird in a horizontal posture at a height convenient to the operator attempting to collect the semen holds the bird in a horizontal position. To collect sperm, the operator should softly massage both sides of the cloaca with the thumb and index finger of the left hand. The operator should use his right hand to grasp a collecting funnel and massage the soft portion of the abdomen below the pelvic bones with his thumb and index finger. Massage the cock rapidly and continuously until the papilla protrudes from the cloaca. Once the papilla is fully protruded, the semen is squeezed into the collecting funnel using the thumb and index finger of the left hand, which were previously positioned. Semen should not be contaminated with faeces or feathers.

Evaluation of sperm at the moment of collection

• Normal semen colour is pearly white or cream-colored. Avoid yellow sperm and sperm contaminated with blood, urates, faeces, or other material.
• Do not allow sperm to come into touch with water.
• If debris or impurities are found in pooled semen, gently aspirate the contaminates before combining the semen with more diluent.
• To chill down the diluted sperm, place it in a cooler or refrigerator (3 to 12 degree Celsius).

Insemination:

Before use, all insemination equipment should be properly cleaned and dried. Because a hard shelled egg in the lower end of the oviduct obstructs insemination and decreases fertility, insemination must be done after the bulk of the birds have finished laying. In practise, it was found that inseminating chicken after 3 p.m. yielded superior outcomes. When inseminating turkey flocks after 5 p.m., considerably greater outcomes are obtained. Non-laying chickens are difficult to inseminate. When the flock’s egg production hits 25%, insemination is usually done. During the first week, hens are inseminated twice. Following it, at weekly intervals.

Procedure

• With the left hand down and the tail pulled back and against the operator’s breast, the bird is held by the legs.
• Place the right hand’s thumb against the vent’s top lip, then squeeze the abdominal muscle with a rounding motion.
• Instead of using your fingers to squeeze, use your palm to create uniform pressure. After the oviduct has been everted, the second operator enters the syringe as far as it will go within the oviduct without applying pressure. The insemination equipment is inserted about 1 inch into the vaginal canal, and semen is deposited at the vaginal-uterine junction.

Dose and frequency of insemination:
            Chicken : 0.05 ml, once in a week
Turkey   : 0.025 ml once in every 2 weeks
Ducks    : 0.03 ml once in every 5 days
Goose    : 0.05 ml for every 7 days.

Males create more good-quality semen in the morning, and females produce more viable eggs when inseminated about 9 p.m., according to research.

Semen volume and sperm concentration in different species of poultry:

 https://thepoultrypunch.com/2019/04/artificial-insemination-in-poultry/

References:

1. Kharayat NS, Chaudhary GR, Katiyar R. Significance of Artificial Insemination  in  Poultry.  Research  & Reviews: Journal  of Veterinary  Science and Technology. 2016; 5(1)
2. Artificial Insemination in Poultry-M.R. Bakst and J.S. Dymond

3.TNAU agritech portal

4. Leeson S, Summer JD. 2009. Broiler Breeder Production. Chapter 2. Reproduction. Nottingham University Press, 22–49p

https://www.pashudhanpraharee.com/concept-of-mating-artificial-insemination-in-poultry/

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