Effect of semen extenders, dilution rates and storage periods on spermatozoa quality of Horasi chicken ecotype

Numerous semen extenders have been recommended for storing poultry semen. This study was conducted to assess a suitable extender, storage period and dilution rate for semen collected from the Horasi chicken ecotype. To accomplish the objectives, a 4 x 4 x 4 factorial experiment in a completely randomized design employing four extenders (BPSE, LAKE, CARI and garlic extract mixture), four dilution rates (1:2, 1:3, 1:4 and 1:5) and four storage periods (0, 12, 24 and 48 hours) was used. Semen samples were collected from ten Horasi cockerels using the abdominal massage technique, kept at 4°C and subsequently examined for semen motility, viability and normalcy after extension with specific diluent, each dilution rate and storage period. Sperm motility and viability were significantly (p<0.05) reduced across all extenders and dilution rates examined, while defective spermatozoa increased with storage period. The Beltsville Poultry Semen Extender (BPSE) maintained high spermatozoa motility, viability, and normalcy at all dilution rates and storage periods tested, followed by the CARI and LAKE extenders, whereas the Garlic extender performed worse at all dilution rates and storage periods than the other extenders, especially at a 1:5 dilution rate and 48 hours of storage. Based on our findings, a high percentage of sperm motility, viability, and normalcy for Horasi chicken ecotype semen were observed while using BPSE at a dilution rate of 1:2, and the quality was maintained throughout the storage period tested. Thus, it is concluded that BPSE extender at a 1:2 dilution rate is a suitable extender for Horasi chicken ecotype semen.