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Evaluation of fertility: biological basis and practical application

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2007

G.J. Wishart ,
H.J. Staines  and
R.C. Hazary
G.J. Wishart
Affiliation:
Avian Reproduction Group, University of Abertay, Dyndee DD1 1HG, UK
H.J. Staines
Affiliation:
Avian Reproduction Group, University of Abertay, Dyndee DD1 1HG, UK
R.C. Hazary
Affiliation:
Avian Reproduction Group, University of Abertay, Dyndee DD1 1HG, UK
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Abstract

Fertility in poultry is generally measured as the “percentage fertile eggs” laid by hens during a period of time following artificial insemination or natural mating. This parameter has presented some problems for the statistical analysis of fertility and its main limitations derive from the binary classification of an egg as fertile or infertile. An alternative measurements of breeding efficiency is the number of soermatozoa that associate with eggs at fertilisation. These can be estimated in laid eggs and present a robust and fundamental measurement of the efficiency of sperm transfer into hens. In several applications they have revealed differences in the efficiency of mating or artificial insenination that were not discernible by traditional estimations of fertility.

Keywords

Artificial inseminationfertilisationfertilityinner perivitelline layernatural matingpsermatozoa
Type
Research Article
Information
World's Poultry Science Journal , Volume 57 , Issue 3 , September 2001 , pp. 309 - 314
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2001

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