EFFECT OF FEEDING DIFFERENT LEVELS OF ENERGY AND CRUDE PROTEIN ON SEMEN QUALITY AND FERTILITY OF DOMYATI DUCKS.

Abstract

A total number of 243 Domyati ducks at 20- wks-old (54 drake and 189 duck)were used in a factorial (3x3) arrangement design to investigate the effect of using different dietary levels of metabolizable energy (ME) and crude protein (CP) on semen quality, seminal and blood plasma constituents and fertility. All birds were weighed and divided into nine treatment groups of 3 replicates each. The dietary (ME) treatments were 2750, 2850 and 2950 kcal of ME/kg, each with 15, 17 and 19% CP. The results indicate that drakes fed the high level of ME or CP had significantly higher ejaculate volume, whereas, concentration of sperms was significantly increased by high-CP only. Advanced motility of sperms was improved significantly by high-ME, whereas CP levels had no effect. Mass motility of sperms was not significantly changed due to varying levels of ME or CP in the diet. Dead, coiled, clumping and total abnormal sperms were significantly decreased by high level of ME and CP in the diet. Varying levels of ME and CP in Domyati drake's diet had significant effect on all seminal plasma constituents except of albumin content which was not affected by ME levels. Seminal plasma total protein and globulin contents were significantly (P ≤ 0.05) decreased by either high-ME or CP level in the diet, whereas, seminal plasma albumin content was significantly decreased by high-CP, only. Both of seminal plasma alkaline phosphatase and AST were not significantly affected due varying levels of ME and CP in the diet, whereas, acid phosphatase and ALT were significantly decreased by feeding the high level of CP in the diet. Blood plasma albumin content was significantly (P ≤ 0.01) decreased by feeding on high-ME diet, whereas, blood plasma globulin was significantly (P ≤ 0.05) increased. Also, blood plasma T3 hormone was significantly increased by medium-ME or medium and high-CP in the diet, whereas, testosterone hormone was increased by high-ME or CP in the diet.