The effect of semen collection frequency and food intake on semen production in breeding boars

Abstract

ABSTRACTAn experiment was conducted to study the effect of feeding level and semen collection frequency on semen quantity and quality of 62 Yorkshire boars at two artificial insemination centres during 10 successive periods of 2 weeks. The experiment had a 2 × 2 factorial design with two feeding levels (2·75 and 3·5 kg/day) and two semen collection frequencies (three and five times in 2 weeks).In the first 2-week period boars on the high frequency semen collection scheme produced 94 × 109 sperm cells more than boars on the low scheme. In periods 2 to 10 the mean difference was only 18 × 109 sperm cells. Boars on the high feeding level produced 32 × 109 sperm cells more per 2-week period than the boars on the low feeding level (P < 0·05). Boars at the high collection frequency and the high feeding level tended to produce a higher number of sperm cells during periods 2 to 10 than the boars on the high semen collection frequency and the low feeding level (P > 0·05). No effects of food intake or semen collection frequency on semen quality were found.