SECTION OF PREFERENCE: ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY AND REPRODUCTION THE POTENTIAL OF DEXTROSE SALINE FORTIFIED WITH CARROT JUICE AS SEMEN EXTENDER IN LAYER BREEDER CHICKENS

Abstract

Artificial insemination is one of the best management technique that can be utilized to improve the reproductive efficiency of layer breeder chickens. Carrot juice was extracted from carrot fruits by using standard procedure. The pH of the supernatant fluid was examined with the aid of pH meter and was buffered with drop of potassium hydroxide (1g of the potassium hydroxide into 5ml of water) to pH of 7.0. The prepared carrot juice ((CJ) was used to fortified 1% dextrose saline at different concentrations 25% (T25), 50% (T50), 75% (T75) and 100% (T100) to form the extenders. Semen collected from three Isa Brown breeder cocks were pooled and divided into five portions. Each portion was extended with the formulated extenders at ratio 1:1, while dextrose saline (DS) served as the control. The extended semen was evaluated in vitro for quality characteristics (sperm cells motility and livability). In the second hour DST (60.50±0.50%) was significantly (p<005) higher than CJT25% (56.75±2.50%), CJT50% (55.25±8.54%), CJT75% (51.50±2.89) and CJT100% (50.50±0.50%). The same trend was obtained in the third hour. DST (50.00±0.00%) was significantly (p<005) higher than CJT25% (41.25±1.25%), CJT50% (43.75±2.39%), CJT75% (46.25±1.25%) and CJT100% (45.25±1.25%), while the semen fortified with carrot juice extract sustained spermatozoa livability up to third hour. CJT25% (60.00±3.66%), CJT50% (60.00±3.65%), CJT75 (60.00±3.70%) and CJT100% (63.75±3.75%), was significant (p< 0.05) higher than the sperm cell livability of the DST (40.00±0.00%). Dextrose saline fortified with 25% carrot juice extract did not enhance sperm cell motility beyond 2 hours and livability beyond 4 hours in vitro.