Semen characteristics in boars fed organic or inorganic sources of Se were assessed in 3 experiments. Crossbred boars were randomly assigned at weaning to 1 of 3 dietary treatments: I) basal diets with no supplemental Se (control), II) basal diets with 0.3 mg/kg of supplemental Se from an organic source (Sel-Plex, Alltech Inc., Nicholasville, KY), and III) basal diets supplemented with 0.3 mg/k...

Unlike derivatives of financial contracts, commodity options exhibit distinct particularities owing to physical aspects of the underlying. An adaptation of no-arbitrage pricing to this kind of derivative turns out to be a stress test, challenging the martingale-based models with diverse technical and technological constraints, with storability and short selling restrictions, and sometimes with ...

Northern pintail duck semen and sperm traits were characterized, and the fertility of cold-stored spermatozoa was investigated using artificial insemination. Excellent quality ejaculates containing high proportions of motile spermatozoa were collected from drakes within 20 s by a massage technique. Semen was collected in Beltsville poultry semen extender, pooled and cold-stored (4 degrees C) fo...

The aims of this study were to compare glycerol (G) at customary concentrations and ethylene glycol (EG) as cryoprotectants for stallion semen in a skimmed milk (SM) extender, to test different EG concentrations and to compare the results of manual and computerized analysis with the hypoosmotic swelling (HOS) test. Ejaculates from two stallions were collected over 3 weeks (6 ejaculates per stal...

Adult East Freisan crossbred (n = 220) and Chios ewes (n = 105) were divided into four groups and inseminated with chilled semen, which had been stored for 7, 13, 20 or 26 h at 5°C. Unilateral intrauterine insemination (50 x 10 6 spermatozoa in 0.25 ml) was performed with the aid of a laparoscope. Inseminations were carried out 48 – 52 h after pessary removal (30 mg FGA) without detecting estru...

This review focuses on some of the main features of sperm selection and storage in birds mainly on the basis of studies performed in poultry species, with emphasis on the initial selection of sperm at the female vagina level prior to migration towards the sperm storage tubules. Sperm originating from low-quality males or subjected to inappropriate in vitro storage conditions are rapidly discard...

Spermatozoa, especially those of the porcine species, are highly susceptible to in vitro chilling and ageing. Extenders are continuously developed to protect boar spermatozoa from chilling injury. New semen extenders and other modified preservation strategies require sensitive testing for essential sperm functions. The key process on the pathway of fertilization is capacitation. The aim of the ...

The purpose of the present study was to assess the effect of modified camel milk (MCAM) and skim cow milk (SCOM) on semen quality of INRA180 and Boujaâd ram breeds, stored at 15°C for up to 24 hours. Semen samples were collected from eleven mature rams (6 from INRA180 and 5 from Boujaâd rams) and extended in SCOM vs MCAM, to reach a final concentration of 0.8×109 spermatozoa/mL, and stored at 1...