Lipid composition and thermotropic phase behavior of boar, bull, stallion, and rooster sperm membranes.

The aim of this study was to establish whether the mobility of sperm of the domestic fowl, as measured by an in vitro assay, predicted the outcome of sperm competition. Thirteen pairs of New Hampshire roosters, comprising one male categorized as having high-mobility sperm and the other as having average-mobility sperm, were used. Each male provided 25 x 10(6) sperm, which were mixed and artificially inseminated into between four and seven New Hampshire hens, each of which produced 2-11 offspring. The experiment was conducted twice, such that the same pair of males inseminated the same females. Paternity was assigned by using microsatellite markers. There was a clear effect of sperm-mobility phenotype on the outcome of sperm competition: in all 13 pairs the high-mobility male fathered the majority of offspring (75.3% overall; p < 0.0001). The proportion of offspring fathered by the high-mobility male within pairs varied significantly between male pairs (p < 0.0005). This effect was associated with the difference in sperm-mobility scores between males within pairs; there was a significant positive relationship between the proportion of offspring fathered by the high-mobility male and the ratio of mobility scores between males (p < 0.05). In addition, compared with their success predicted from the non-competitive situation, in the competitive situation high-mobility males were disproportionately successful in fertilizing eggs compared with average-mobility males. This may occur because female sperm storage is limited in some way and a greater proportion of high-mobility sperm gain access to the female's sperm storage tubules. There was no evidence that female effects accounted for any of the variation in paternity.

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Sperm mobility determines the outcome of sperm competition in the domestic fowl.

Artificial insemination (AI) was the first great biotechnology applied to improve reproduction and genetics of farm animals. It has had an enormous impact worldwide in many species, particularly in dairy cattle. The acceptance of AI technology worldwide provided the impetus for developing other technologies, such as cryopreservation and sexing of sperm, estrous cycle regulation, and embryo harvesting, freezing, culture and transfer, and cloning. New, highly effective methods of sire evaluation were developed. The history of development of AI is reviewed, particularly in dairy cattle, in which the impact on genetic improvement and control of venereal diseases have been greatest. Other

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The history of artificial insemination: Selected notes and notables

The main target of this study was to determine the effect of dietary natural antioxidants: Thyme, rosemary, oregano and curcuma longa on production and reproduction performance of laying local hens and study the oxidative stability of yolk shell egg storage at room temperature (16 C±2). A total number of 360 o hens and 36 cocks from El-Salaam strain of 28 weeks old were divided into 12 groups with 3 replicate each (10 hens +1 cock). Birds were fed on the experimental diets, using two levels (0.5 and 1.0%) from four types of herbs (oregano, thyme, rosemary, curcuma longa) as natural antioxidants, in comparison to two levels of vitamin E (100 and 200) mg/Kg diet, in addition to two diets, one using vitamins and minerals premix with vitamin E (control) and the other without vitamin E (Negative-control).The main results obtained from this study can be summarized as follows: Addition of herbs as natural antioxidants during the laying period can improve the production performance especially at 1.0% thyme, rosemary, oregano or 0.5% curcuma longa increased egg production, egg mass and improved feed conversion. Addition of 1.0% curcuma longa increased numerically values of shell weight and egg shape index. This treatment increased percentage of yolk weight and improved yolk colour by 10.87% and 15.62%, respectively compared to control group. Addition 1.0% oregano gave the highest values of all nutrient digestibility coefficients; except ether extract digestibility that was the lowest value compared to control diet, however it was statistically insignificant. Statistically, the highest values (P<0.05) of antibody titter against sheep red blood cells were recorded for hens fed 1.0% thyme or rosemary. Thyme or rosemary at 1.0% significantly decreased plasma total lipid, in comparison to the control by 17.15 and 27.15%, respectively while total cholesterol and LDL- cholesterol decreased insignificantly. Addition of thyme, rosemary or curcuma longa at 1.0% significantly decreased yolk total lipid, in comparison to the control group by 12.14, 13.19 and 13.95%, respectively. Addition of 1 % oregano or rosemary or 0.5 and 1.0% curcuma longa during laying period significantly decreased malonaldehyede formation in egg yolk and had positive effect on oxidative stability of shell eggs storage at room temperature(16oC±2). Addition of 1.0% oregano, rosemary or 0.5% curcuma longa significantly increased the percentages of fertility. While 1.0% thyme or 0.5-1.0% curcuma longa significantly increased the percentages of hatchability of fresh eggs. It could be concluded from this study that herbs could be used as natural antioxidants during laying period. Oregano, rosemary or thyme at 1.0% or curcuma longa at 0.5% can improve productive performance, fertility and hatchability and had positive effect on oxidative stability of shell eggs during storage.

W. H. Burrows

Papers

The Collection of Spermatozoa from the Domestic Fowl and Turkey