Semen Collection from Japanese Quail (Coturnix japonica) Using a Teaser Female

The quantity and quality of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) semen collected individually after stimulation by a teaser female was assessed. From among 25 mature males, 10 were selected for experimental purposes on the basis of reaction intensity to stimulation, size of the proctodeal foam gland, and ejaculation speed. Males were kept individually in cages (32 × 44 × 24 cm) and 5 females that served for male stimulation were kept in a group cage (60 × 45 × 48 cm). The applied method of semen collection was very effective and with it we obtained ejaculates of good quality; average volume of ejaculate collected was 27 μl (range: 2035 μl per individual). Spermatozoa concentration for the entire experimental period and all males averaged 693 × 10 ml (range: 592 to 812 × 10 ml). The sperm quality factor averaged around 16 (range: 11.5-19.2). The total amount of live spermatozoa was high (range: 87.6%-95.2%; mean: 94%), while the number of live, morphologically normal cells varied between individuals from 77.1% to 86.4% (mean: 83.4%). Among the live deformed cells, macrocephalic (2.8%) and bent-neck (1.6%) were the most frequently observed deformities. Individual differences in reaction to the semen collection procedure, as well as the quality and quantity of fresh semen were observed. The high level of quantitative and qualitative traits of the quail semen collected after stimulation of the male with a teaser female suggests that this method can be recommended in experiments on quail reproduction.