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Influence of Freezing Methods, Extenders, and Storage Temperatures on Motility and pH of Frozen Bovine Semen^{1, 2,}

Department of Animal Industries, University of Connecticut, Storrs

ABSTRACT

Fourteen ejaculates, two from each of seven bulls, were extended in heated, whole homogenized milk (milk) and egg yolk-citrate (EYC), frozen with either dry ice-alcohol (DI) or liquid nitrogen (LN), then divided for storage at –79 C (DI), –92 C (Mechanical), and –196 C (LN). Samples from each ejaculate and each treatment were evaluated for pH and per cent progressive motility at prefreeze, post-freeze, one day, ten days, one, three, six, and nine months.

EYC extender maintained significantly higher (P < 0.01) motility values than milk extender when averaged across all other treatments. However, there was no significant difference between the motility values obtained for these extenders when DI freezing was used for DI and LN storage. Motility of semen frozen with DI was significantly higher (P < 0.01) for all treatments than samples frozen with LN. The motility values of semen extended in EYC and stored at –92 and –196 C were approximately equal and in all instances higher than comparable samples stored at –79 C. After three months' storage the samples extended in milk exhibited higher motility values when stored at –196 C than when stored at –92 or –79 C.

There was little variation in mean pH values within extenders due to freezing methods or storage temperatures. The correlation coefficients between pH and motility and between change in pH and change in motility were low and in most instances nonsignificant.

¹ Supported in part by grants-in-aid from the National Association of Artificial Breeders, New England Artificial Breeding Council, and the New England Selective Breeding Association.

² Portions of the data presented in this paper are from a thesis submitted by the senior author to the Graduate School of the University of Connecticut in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Science degree.

³ Present address: Soligenics, Box 101, Suffield, Connecticut.

⁴ Present address: Dairy Breeding Research Center, Department of Dairy Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park.