Semen quality and egg hatchability in local turkey fed diets containing moringa oleifera

Thesis Overview

<p> The experiment was conducted to determine semen quality, fertility, egg hatchability and some<br>biochemical parameters in Nigerian local turkey toms fed diets containing Moringa oleifera (MO),<br>Gongronema latifolium (GL) leaf meals and their combinations. A total of 72 Nigerian local turkeys<br>comprising of 54 males and 18 females were used for the study. The males were randomly divided<br>into 9 treatment groups, each treatment was replicated 3 times with 2 toms per replicate. The<br>treatment diets were given only to the toms, starting from three month of age through the<br>experimental period. The experimental animals were fed and given water properly, twice a day<br>without restriction. All the management practices were carried out to the best of ability. The males in<br>all the treatment groups were weighed weekly to determine their daily and weekly body weight gain.<br>At 26 weeks of age, toms were trained for semen collection, and 32 weeks of age, semen was collected<br>using abdominal massages. Samples were analyzed for colour, volume, progressive motility, sperm<br>concentration, viability and sperm morphology. Fresh semen sample were also collected per<br>treatment in vials’ stored in ice block and analyzed for fructose, Na and K. A total of 18 hens were<br>randomly shared 2 per treatment corresponding to the 9 treatments. Pooled Semen from each<br>treatment was used to inseminate the hens twice a week at the beginning of egg lay and once a week<br>subsequently. A total of 225 eggs were collected and incubated in weekly batches, analyzed for<br>fertility and hatchability. The result revealed that M. oleifera and G. latifolium leaf meals had<br>significant (P&lt;0.05) effects on the semen quality parameters measured. M. oleifera fed tom at 3kg<br>yielded the best result: ejaculate volume 0.58ml, motility= 92.93%, Conc.= 4.82(x10/ml 9), live<br>sperm= 94.13%, normal sperm 91.38% and corresponding lower values for percentage dead and<br>abnormal sperm.<br>While, G. latifolium treated toms had a lower value for their semen quality<br>parameters when compared with the control group. Interaction effects of M. oleifera and G. latifolium<br>leaf meals were significantly (P&lt;0.05) different. Compared with control semen quality traits were<br>higher at 3kgMO+1.5kgGL inclusion, lower at 1.5kgMO + 1.5kgGL, and significantly reduced semen<br>quality of toms fed 1.5kgMO+ 3kgGL diets. Similarly, the percent fertile eggs, and percent hatched<br>eggs were greatly improved at 3kgMO diets with corresponding decrease in percent infertile eggs and<br>dead in shell embryos than the control. However, toms fed diet at 1.5kgGL and 3kgGL had their<br>values for these parameters being severely reduced. Hatchability values increased to 88.39% and<br>83.33% at 3kg MO+1.5kgGL and 3kg MO+3kgGL respectively with a decrease in percent dead- inshell<br>embryos to 16.99% and 19.12% respectively. Seminal fructose concentration (mg/100ml) was<br>significantly (P&lt;0.05) increased (5.86+2.76) at 3kgGL when compared with the control, but M.<br>oleifera had a negligible increase in fructose concentration. However, M. oleifera fed toms (3kg) had<br>a significant(P&lt;0.05) increase in concentration of Na and K (0.39 and 0.35) respectively. These<br>result suggest that improved fertility, eggs hatchability and reduction in percent embryo mortality can<br>be achieved using M. oleifera at 3kg/100kg diet and combination of M. oleifera+G. latifolium at rate<br>of 3kgMO+1.5kgGL, but treatment with G.latifolium at the rate of 1.5kg, 3kg and combination at rate&nbsp; of 1.5kgMO +3kgGL caused reduced fertility in local Nigerian turkey. <br></p>