Troubleshooting fertility problems in turkeys

When low fertility is found in turkey operations, it is important to troubleshoot the artificial insemination procedures to determine the cause or causes of the problem.

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kolesnikov, Bigstock
kolesnikov, Bigstock

When low fertility is found in turkey operations, it is important to troubleshoot the artificial insemination procedures to determine the cause or causes of the problem.

Dr. Murray Bakst, who retired after nearly 40 years of employment with the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS), discussed turkey fertility problems and how to identify them while speaking at the 2018 Midwest Poultry Federation Convention in Minneapolis on March 13, 2018.

Bakst said that once it is established that there is a fertility problem, the first thing to do is visit the tom farm and evaluate the artificial insemination procedures. The key to sustaining high fertility is good quality semen.

Get a close look at semen collection process

Bakst said when watching the semen collection process, it is essential to get into the pen and have a critical eye. You cannot get a true sense of the process when watching from a distance.

While in the pen, here are some things to evaluate:

  • How are the toms handled?
  • Is there enough light so the semen collector can immediately differentiate between quality and poor semen?
  • Are the cloacal strokes made with minimal pressure and frequency? Bakst advises that in most cases, only two strokes are needed. As the number of strokes are increased, the risk of semen contamination becomes greater.
  • Is diluent in the semen collection vials prior to milking?
  • Are reusable semen collection tubes or vials clean and dry?  Water kills sperm.
  •  Evaluate novice semen collectors regularly to make sure they are consistently collecting good quality semen.

Follow precise steps when handling semen

According to Bakst, some “wiggle room” is allowed during the collection and insemination process, but the steps in the different semen handling procedure must be accurately followed to assure consistent results.

Semen handling falls into four categories:

  • Dilution.
  • Evaluation.
  • Storage.
  • Transport to the hen barn.

In order to get optimal results, standard operating procedures (SOPs) need to be established, and understood and followed by all handlers on all farms.

“The purpose of each SOP is to achieve efficiency, quality output and uniformity of performance, while reducing miscommunications and operation variability,” Bakst said.

In rare instances when a deviation from an SOP occurs, Bakst said to record exactly what was done for future reference.

SOPs are particularly important when performing semen evaluation procedures. Regardless which test is being performed, each step must be done each time precisely as described in the SOP to minimize on-farm and farm-to-farm variation.

When troubleshooting, watch the procedure being performed. If sperm concentration is determined by a spectrophotometer take note of the following:

  • Are cuvettes dust and fingerprint free?
  • Are buffer and semen volumes in the cuvette precisely the same each reading?
  • Are pipettors used correctly?
  • Is residual semen wiped off the outside of the pipette tip?

If a hematocrit centrifuge is being used to determine sperm concentration take note of the following:

  • Capillary tubes with semen and debris should be discarded, use only tubes with clean semen.
  • Centrifugation times are same duration at all locations.

Storage and transport

When storing and transporting semen, pay close attention to the following details:

  • Be sure the semen is in a flask in a beaker with the water level in the beaker slightly higher than the semen level.
  • Secure the beaker in a pre-cooled cooler with a shaker maintained at 100 revolutions per minute.
  • Firmly cap the flask with a perforated cover to allow air exchange.

Insemination of hens

There are certain things to emphasize during the insemination process. Among those are:

  • Observe the crews moving and handling the hens, and be assured that they are keeping stress to the hens at a minimum.
  • Check that the correct semen dose is consistently filling each straw.
  • Machines need to be sanitized and dried after use. If there is semen on the cloacal lips immediately after insemination, inseminate that hen again.
  • Examine the straws for residual semen after insemination. More residue means hens are receiving less sperm.

 

 

Read more:

The turkey industry's top 10 health challenges, www.wattagnet.com/articles/32432

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