An Improved Method for Obtaining Semen from Muscovy Drakes and Some of Its Quantitative and Qualitative Characteristics

Abstract

An improved method for obtaining semen from the Muscovy drake using an "artificial vagina" was developed and employed on a commercial scale. With such a procedure, the ejaculate volume was 1.12 +/- .85 ml, semen concentration was 1.35 +/- .43 X 10(9) cells/ml with 8.6 +/- 6.3% abnormal sperm cells. Average spermatozoal motility was graded as 3.59 +/- .93 on a scale of 0 to 5 and the initial pH was found to be 7.30 +/- .23 within 5 min of ejaculation.