what is semen quality test?
Artificial insemination is an effective technology that can be used to increase cattle productivity by utilizing the potential of superior males so that they can mate with more than one parent and can improve the genetic quality of the cattle. The success of AI is determined by several factors, one of which is the quality of the cement used. One of the factors that have an influence on the quality of semen is the nation of the male being accommodated. Superior males can produce semen sustainably. Males with superior genetic quality as cement producers are important to pay attention to in order to produce quality semen. Older cows will result in an increase in quality, but after 7 years it will decrease. Reproductive efficiency of a male is influenced by factors of race, age, body condition, semen storage interval and ejaculation frequency.
Characteristics of semen quality in males used for breeding in cattle with the classification of sperm count more than 500 million/ml, more than 50% moving progressively, more than 80% having normal morphology, motility not less than 65%, less than 20% spermatozoa morphology abnormal, not less than 100 million spermatozoa per milliliter with 60-75 milliliters per ejaculate. The increasing age of cows resulted in an increase in semen volume, but there was a decrease in the percentage of individual motility and spermatozoa concentration, but for pH and mass motility there was no difference and the total motile spermatozoa decreased after 3 years of age and increased at 7 years of age. Superior males can produce semen sustainably, males with superior genetic quality as cement producers, it is important to pay attention to in order to produce quality semen. Factors that affect semen quality include age, breed of livestock, genetic characteristics, temperature and season, libido and frequency of ejaculation and feed.
Factors Affecting Semen Quality:
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| Bull |
Genetics
Livestock genetics greatly affect the reproductive ability of the livestock itself. The superior nature of the superior male can produce good semen as well. Superior bulls will produce good quality and quantity of spermatozoa and frozen semen, several factors that affect semen quality are age, race and body weight. Factors that affect the production of cow semen include: age, genetics, temperature, season, frequency of ejaculation, feed and body weight. Differences in breeds of cattle affect the quality of spermatozoa and semen quality after freezing, because they are closely related to adaptability, body weight and puberty. The success of AI is determined by several factors, one of which is the quality of the cement used. One of the factors that have an influence on the quality of semen is the nation of the male being accommodated.
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| 2 year old bull |
Age
Age and experience of males can affect the ability to mate and can be seen from the appearance of libido. Libido of slaughter males will increase when they enter the age of 16-31 months, in contrast to crossing males who actually have a low libido when young. Sexual appearance generally seems to increase with the age of the male. The older the age of the cow, the semen production of the cow will increase, because age is correlated with the size of the testes. The bigger the testes, the more seminiferous tubules and the production of spermatozoa cells will increase. Factors that affect the production of cow semen include: age, genetics, temperature, season, frequency of ejaculation of different races, feed and body weight.
Environment
A supportive environment has a direct impact on livestock and indirectly on their feed, so that a cool and fertile area will support their reproductive success more than in a hot area. Environmental influences can be divided into 2, namely (1) the environment that cannot be controlled by humans, namely temperature, climate, weather and rain (2) while those that can be controlled by humans are maintenance management, namely housing, maintenance systems, quality and quantity of feed provided, disease control and the mating system.
Feed
The feed consumed by livestock will affect the growth and development of the livestock itself, both for production, reproduction, and to meet the needs of the livestock. Feed will affect the hormonal system in bulls, although adult bulls are able to maintain semen production and testosterone secretion in conditions of nutritional deficiency, young bulls have stunted sexual development and the achievement of puberty will be delayed.