This study was carried out at the laboratory of artificial insemination and
embryo transfer in Ezra station Belongs to ACSAD during 2009 to estimate the
efficiency of local diluents (sodium citrate with egg yolk, EYC and skimmed
milk, SM)in compar
ison to Andromed® as a standard diluent for short and long
-term preservation period of semen in Awassi rams. Four rams, two years old
with live body weight 75± 3 Kg, were used. Semen was collected by artificial
insemination twice/ per day per week for 4 months during the breeding season.
Progressive motility and live – dead sperms were evaluated at each step of
semen handling. Results showed that there was a significant effect (p<0.05) for
the ram on ejaculate volume (1.8-2.46 ml) and sperm concentration (2.4-3.8 X
109/ml) and more significant effect (p< 0.01) for the diluents on studied traits
after each step of semen handling. The highest final survival rate of viability
(65.1%) was shown in semen diluted with Andromed® compared with 51.3% in
EYC and 22.3% in SM and the total rates of dead sperms were 41.9, 56.9.
78.9% in the standard, EYC and in SM, respectively. It was concluded that
local diluents can be used for extending and using Awassi semen as a fresh
diluted semen for a short time preservation using SM and as a frozen and
preserved semen for a long time with EYC in artificial insemination programs
and it was suggested that EYC with glycerol can be replaced for Andromed® if
sperm concentrate is increased by 10-15% at dilution.
