Timed artificial insemination in Serrana nanny-goats: the effects of vaginal specula and artificial insemination technicians

Abstract

The success of artificial insemination (AI) depends on the equipment used, especially regarding the facilitation of artificial insemination technicians’ work and the positioning of insemination guns in the genital tract of animals. This study aimed to evaluate how vaginal specula and artificial insemination technicians affected the fertility rates of timed artificially inseminated Serrana Transmontano goats (which are indigenous to Portugal). For this, 58 adult nanny-goats aged between three and nine years were used. They were reproductively controlled by a short progestogen treatment (FGA) (seven days) with equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG). Timed cervical AI (43 hours after the end of the hormonal treatment) was performed with chilled semen. Nanny-goats were inseminated by two artificial insemination technicians (A vs. B) alternating two vaginal specula (Minitub vs. “Reyes”). Pregnancy was diagnosed by ultrasound 41 days later. About 98% of nanny-goats responded to our treatment with FGA and eCG. In total, 82.8% of nanny-goats were pregnant 41 days after AI. Neither vaginal specula (Minitub: 81.2% vs. “Reyes”: 84.6%) nor artificial insemination technicians (A: 82.8% vs. B: 82.8%) affected fertility rates. Thus, we conclude that neither the vaginal specula used in this research nor the artificial insemination technicians affected Serrana goat pregnancy rates.