Abstract
This study compared the effects of natural mating and artificial insemination using frozen buck semen on reproductive performance in Alpine goats. Sixty reproductive Alpine goats were grouped according to natural mating () and artificial insemination () breeding methods. Oestrus was synchronised in experimental goats using a vaginal sponge impregnated with 20 mg of progestogen FGA (fluorogestone acetate) for 11 days. At the time of sponge insertion, 150 g of prostaglandin F (PGF) analogue was injected intramuscularly. Forty-eight hours prior to vaginal sponge withdrawal, 500 IU equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) was injected into the animals. At the end of synchronisation protocol, goats were fertilised using frozen semen or mated with a well-performing buck (ratio: 1 male to 5 females). The pregnancy (pregnant/synchronised goats) and mortality rates () were higher (93 % vs. 70 %; 2 % vs. 4 %) in the naturally mated goats than the artificially inseminated group. Kids' live weight at birth was similar ( and kg) in both groups. The oestrus synchronisation followed by natural mating achieved better reproductive performance than the goats artificially inseminated using frozen semen. However, the artificially inseminated animals displayed an acceptable twinning rate.
Highlights
Optimal reproductive performance in goats is an important trait, which affects the economic profitability of farms (Yotov et al, 2016)
This study aimed to evaluate the effects of using frozen buck semen on the reproductive performance of artificially inseminated Alpine goats relative to naturally mated goats
The calculated pregnancy rate in naturally bred goat groups was higher than the 85.7 % recorded by Fonseca et al (2005) in Alpine goats treated with intravaginal sponges (MAP, 60 mg) for 9 days plus 200 IU equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) and 22.5 μg d-cloprostenol 24 h before sponge removal and similar to the 93.44 % reported by Duricicet al. (2012) in Boer goats reared in a semi-intensive environment in Croatia
Summary
Optimal reproductive performance in goats is an important trait, which affects the economic profitability of farms (Yotov et al, 2016). Semen cryopreservation involves cooling and storing semen from elite sires in liquid nitrogen at a low temperature of −196 ◦C (Sikarwar et al, 2015). This preserves the semen indefinitely, and it can be used for future AI needs. AI involves transferring semen into the reproductive tract of female animals. These methodologies enable accelerated production of genetically valuable offspring and improve reproductive performance. Different factors including the type of extender, interactions between cryoprotectants, cooling rate, thawing rate, and the physiological status of animals are important for successful semen cryopreservation and AI. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of using frozen buck semen on the reproductive performance of artificially inseminated Alpine goats relative to naturally mated goats
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