INFLUENCE OF BREEDS AND TIME OF COLLECTION ON SEMEN CHARACTERISTICS IN LOCAL AND EXOTIC CHICKEN COCKS REARED UNDER A CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT IN EDO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

An experiment was conducted with 80 breeds of mature chicken cocks, 32 weeks of age and comprising of 60 local cocks (Naked Neck, Frizzle Bird and Normal Feather Bird) and 20 exotic cocks (Dominant Black). The cocks were managed in battery cage system for individual identification. Feeds and water was given ad-libitum. The cocks were ejaculated using the massage techniques. Samples of semen were collected and analyzed to know the influence of time of semen collection on the different strain (breed) of local and exotic cocks using the following parameters: semen volume, semen pH, sperm concentration, sperm motility, percentage live spermatozoa and percentage sperm cell abnormality. Results showed that all the parameters assessed were influenced by the breeds of cock, with significantly (p<0.05) differences observed in all parameter with the exception of sperm pH that shows no significant (PO>0.05) differences in both the local and the exotic cocks. On the other hand time of semen collection shows that morning (AM) collection was significantly (p<0.05) higher than even collection (PM) in terms of semen volume, concentration, motility%, live spermatozoa% and sperm abnormality%. From the result, it was concluded that the semen of the local strain of cocks is not inferior to the exotic breed but semen for artificial insemination is better collected in the morning.