ANSC 1032 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Semen Quality, Spermatic Cord, Physical Examination
13 Feb 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Just because a ram was structural sound and fertile last year does not mean it will be okay this year. Breeding soundness evaluation can identify rams with potential breeding problems, as well as confirm they are probably okay for breeding. Typically 10 to 15% of the rams are considered unsatisfactory for breeding purposes. Body condition (bcs of 3 to 4 on 5 scale) Exam of spermatic cord, epididymis, scrotum, and testicles. Seasonal variation - 2 to 3 cm less when out of breeding season. Minimum varies with age 33 cm for mature ram. Highly correlated with sperm production and semen quality. Rams with larger testes at a given age produce ewe lambs that reach puberty at an earlier age. Sperm motility- at least 30% progressive forward movement. Abnormal morphology- no more than 30% primary abnormalities. Semen quality can be affected by sickness, injury, nutrition, or temperature. Gross motility: movement of undiluted semen (pearly swirls)
