Effect of forced molting on quantity and quality of semen in turkey breeder males as influenced by diet

Broad Breasted White turkey males were induced to molt by imposing periods of nonstimulatory light and short periods of water and feed deprival starting at 54 weeks of age. Birds kept under 8 or 10 hours of light per day began to molt within 3 weeks, and most had terminated semen production within 4 weeks. When returned to stimulatory light, the birds began to produce semen within 4 weeks and reached peak production within 10 weeks. However, this level of production was lower than the original level attained as young birds. The recycled males produced approximately 20 percent more semen than the males kept under constant stimulatory light, and the semen from the recycled males contained 1 to 2 billion additional sperm per ml. The percentage of normal sperm decreased with increase in age of birds irrespective of light treatment. A skip-a-day-per-week feeding schedule imposed on all males from 54 to 78 weeks of age had no appreciable effect on body weight or efficiency of feed utilization. Also, imposition of feed and water restrictions had no apparent effect on early termination or recovery of semen production.