Camel Bulls Research Articles

EFFECT OF COLLECTION FREQUENCY, EXTENDER AND THAWING TEMPERATURE ON THE MOTILITY RECOVERY OF CRYOPRESERVED DROMEDARY CAMEL SPERMATOZOA

The primary objective of this study was to examine ejaculate characteristics and quality of camel bull semen maintained under high (3 /week) and low (2 /week) collection frequencies during the breeding season. Ejaculate characteristics included motility, volume, concentration, detached acrosome, sperm abnormalities, pH, seminal plasma osmolarity and freezing point depression. Significant differences (P<0.01) were observed for ejaculate volume being 13.5 ml versus 7.5 ml for low and high collection frequency, respectively and also pH value (P<0.05) for low frequency of 8.7 versus 8.3 for high frequency semen collection. The second objective was to determine the optimum thawing temperatures (slow thawing vs. rapid thawing) for cryopreserved camel semen extended in tris lactose extender supplemented with different concentrations of α-amylase. Rapid thawing showed higher post-thaw motility for the control samples as well as the samples at different concentrations of the α-amylase treated samples. That leads to an overall significant difference (P<0.01) in post-thaw motility for rapid thawing being 56.33 % compared to 47.66 % for slow thawed cryopreserved samples. No significant effect was detected for neither the detached acrosome percentage nor the sperm abnormalities. According to the present results scheduling a collection program of two semen collection times per week, using alpha-amylase supplemented tris-lactose extender with rapid thawing protocol is recommended for a desired high yield of acceptable insemination doses during the breeding season of male camels.

Infertility in the dromedary bull: a review of causes, relations and implications

Research into infertility in the dromedary bull, as reported during the last two decades, is reviewed with emphasis on causes and effects. Reproductive activity of such animals is naturally limited by a breeding season, though with enough encouragement some may mate with oestrous females out of season but a full fertilization potential can in no way be expected. It is essential that any female presented to a bull is capable of reproducing. The presentation of a subfertile or infertile female due to infection or physiological abnormality will adversely affect the female's ability to conceive and, therefore, the apparent fertility rates of the bull she was put to. The average number of successful services a bull could be expected to perform is two per day. Dromedary bulls with large testes have larger sperm outputs and can cope with more than two females per day providing that they are given adequate periods of rest, 1–2 days every 10 days or so, in conjunction with appropriate nutrition throughout the season. Anabolic steroids or testosterone therapies, which are sometimes used in an attempt to improve male characteristics and bull libido, are not recommended for dromedary bulls in breeding work. Such steroids result in a decrease in testicular size and weight with fewer sperm per gram of testicular tissue being found and the sperm produced also have lower motility rates. Pain associated with the act of mating a she-camel, due to injuries or inflammation in the scrotum, testes, prepuce and sheath, can cause a permanent reduction in bull libido. Camel bulls achieving pregnancy rates more than 60% have had consistently higher spermatozoal concentrations and kinematic variables derived by the computerized cell motion analyzer (CMA) system. As far as physical capabilities are concerned, 3-year-old dromedary bulls, which have reached puberty, have been shown to be perfectly capable of fertilizing a female, but they have a limited sperm production to perform consistently throughout the season in a large herd. By 4.5–5.0 years of age, they are capable of producing adequate numbers of sperm to mate as many as females as an adult bull but fertilizing capacity is not attained until 6 years of age on average. Hyperoestrogenaemia, associated with autoimmune thyroiditis and trypanosomiasis, suppresses the secretion of testicular testosterone and augments the release of testicular histamine, which appears mandatory for quantitative reduction/loss of advanced spermatogenic cells in infertile dromedary bulls.

Biophysical and biochemical characteristics of bactrian camel semen collected by artificial vagina

Seminal characteristics were investigated in Bactrian camel in this study. Semen samples from ten mature Bactrian camel bulls were collected using a modified bovine artificial vagina. The biophysical parameters including volume, color, sperm concentration and fast forward progressive motility, percentage of live sperm and the biochemical parameters including osmolarity, pH, glucose, calcium, phosphorus, chloride, triglycerides, phospholipids, total protein, albumin and non-protein nitrogen concentrations in seminal plasma were measured. The mean time for semen collection was 5.3 ± 0.29 min. The volume of semen varies from 1.2 to 26 (8.2 ± 0.7 mls). The majority of semen samples (83.6%) were milky in color and consistency. The average osmolarity of semen was 316.1 ± 1.48 mOsm/kg H 2O. The pH of semen was slightly alkaline (7.4 ± 0.03). The mean concentration of spermatozoa was 414.8 ± 25.04 × 10 6 cells/ml. The fast forward progressive motility of spermatozoa was 62.4 ± 1.57%. The percentage of live spermatozoa was 85.6 ± 1.15. Seminal plasma concentration of glucose was 35.8 ± 0.9 mg/dl. Non-protein nitrogen, total protein and albumin were 32.5 ± 2.5, 2200 ± 100 and 1100 ± 100 mg/dl, respectively. The average concentrations of phospholipids and triglycerides in seminal plasma were 36.4 ± 2.1 and 101.6 ± 5.5 mg/dl, respectively. The concentrations of calcium, phosphorus and chloride were 8.2 ± 0.1, 2.9 ± 1.7 mg/dl and 97.9 ± 2.9 mEq./l, respectively.

Use of a new computerized system for evaluation of spermatozoal motility and velocity characteristics in relation to fertility levels in dromedary bulls

Three ejaculates from each of 14 dromedary bulls were collected at 7-day intervals and diluted to 50×10 6 spermatozoa per ml with sodium citrate (2.9%) seminal extender. Spermatozoal concentrations, motility percentages and velocity measures were evaluated by a new computerized cell motion analyzer (CMA, medical Technologies Montreux SA, Switzerland) for assessing fertility rates in such animals. Greatest variability in concentrations and motility percentages was generally attributed to animal effect within the first ejaculate. Spermatozoal concentrations and kinematic variables in particular percentages of progressive motility, amplitude of lateral head displacement (ALH) and linearity (LIN) percentage were strongly correlated ( P<0.01) with fertility rates of dromedary bulls. The CMA-derived measurements of velocity straight line (VSL), velocity curve line (VCL), and velocity averaged line (VAP) were significantly affected by the type of spermatozoal tracks. The present results evidenced that the CMA is a reliable system for determining spermatozoal concentrations, motility percentages and velocity measures and is considered as an accurate and rapid method for evaluating and predicting fertility in the one-humped camel bulls.

Experimentally induced rumen acidosis in a 1-year-old camel bull ( Camelus dromedarius)—A preliminary report

Experimentally induced rumen acidosis in a 1-year-old camel bull ( Camelus dromedarius)—A preliminary report

The Barren Camel with Endometritis — Isolation of Trichomonas Fetus and Different Bacteria

This study constitutes the first reported isolation of Trichomonas fetus from the uterus of breeding camels. Twenty-four of 68 camels, which were barren for 1-4 years were found to be positive for T. fetus. One preputial washing of a camel bull which had served the herd was found to be positive for T. fetus. The uterine flora of all camels were examined. Ten different bacterial and 2 fungal species were isolated. All samples were negative for Campylobacter sp., Taylorella equigenitalis and Streptococcus zooepidemicus.