Effects of semen filtration and dilution rate on morphology and fertility of frozen gander spermatozoa

Feces, urates or dirt originating from feathers often contaminate gander semen during collection, threatening its fertilizing ability. Seminal plasma used as a diluent has a similar effect, particularly on spermatozoa subjected to cryopreservation or short-term storage under refrigeration. The aim of the experiments was to evaluate the effects on spermatozoa motility, morphology and fertilizing ability after minimizing the influence of the contaminants by semen filtration or dilution prior to freezing. Pooled semen, collected twice a week from 9 White Italian ganders by dorso-abdominal massage, was divided into two parts. One sample was filtered and both were diluted in 1:1 or 1:0.5 (v/v) with EK diluent, equilibrated for 15 min at +4 °C, mixed with dimethyl-acetamide (DMA) in the final concentration 6 % (v/v) and frozen to −140 °C in a computerized freezer, at a rate of 60 °C/min. In fresh and processed (filtered, freeze-thawed) semen were examined the spermatozoa motility and morphology, and fertilizing ability for freeze-thawed semen, both for unfiltered and filtered. In freeze-thawed semen no tangible differences due to experimental factors were observed in motility and percent of live spermatozoa in total. On average 35 to 42 % of the spermatozoa survived the freezing process, but only 10 to 15 % were normal, without any damage visible under the light microscope. The fertility of unfiltered freeze-thawed semen inseminated twice a week in a 0.2 mL dose (about 3 to 5 x10 6 of live normal spermatozoa each) averaged 66.1 % and hatchability of the set eggs 57.1 and 86.5 % of the fertile eggs. The fertility obtained after the insemination with semen filtered prior to freezing was lower (64.3 %), but hatchability was slightly higher (58.6 and 91.1 % of set and fertile eggs, respectively). The duration of fertility for filtered semen was longer than that for unfiltered, 10 days after the last insemination the eggs were still fertile. The fertility results of freeze-thawed gander semen were very promising taking into consideration the small amount of inseminated live normal spermatozoa and it is possible to improve this result by increasing the number of spermatozoa in the insemination dose.