Evaluating Boar Semen Quality

Determining the initial quality of a boar ejaculate is the first step in semen processing and should ensure that prior to further processing, a high quality artificial insemination dose of semen will be produced. Effective screening methods for ejaculates prior to processing are necessary for improving on farm reproductive performances. Ideally, ejaculates that are thoroughly evaluated prior to processing help identify poor quality semen. Daily evaluations of gross motility and morphology of stored semen sample will helps ensure that due to some unforeseen reason, deteriorated semen doses are not used at the farm level. With this in mind, the objectives of this fact sheet are to describe boar semen evaluation methods and (Table 1) and outline specific guidelines for acceptance and rejection of boar ejaculates upon laboratory entry.