Timed artificial insemination in Serrana nanny-goats: the effects of vaginal specula and artificial insemination technicians

The success of artificial insemination (AI) depends on the equipment used, especially regarding the facilitation of artificial insemination technicians’ work and the positioning of insemination guns in the genital tract of animals. This study aimed to evaluate how vaginal specula and artificial ins...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Hélder Miranda Pires Quintas, Daiane Moreira Silva, Paulo Jorge Pereira Afonso, Armindo de Carvalho Neves Álvaro, Óscar João Pinto Mateus, Ramiro Corujeira Valentim
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Sul de Minas Gerais 2023-04-01
Series:Revista Agrogeoambiental
Online Access:https://agrogeoambiental.ifsuldeminas.edu.br/index.php/Agrogeoambiental/article/view/1753
Description
Summary:The success of artificial insemination (AI) depends on the equipment used, especially regarding the facilitation of artificial insemination technicians’ work and the positioning of insemination guns in the genital tract of animals. This study aimed to evaluate how vaginal specula and artificial insemination technicians affected the fertility rates of timed artificially inseminated Serrana Transmontano goats (which are indigenous to Portugal). For this, 58 adult nanny-goats aged between three and nine years were used. They were reproductively controlled by a short progestogen treatment (FGA) (seven days) with equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG). Timed cervical AI (43 hours after the end of the hormonal treatment) was performed with chilled semen. Nanny-goats were inseminated by two artificial insemination technicians (A vs. B) alternating two vaginal specula (Minitub vs. “Reyes”). Pregnancy was diagnosed by ultrasound 41 days later. About 98% of nanny-goats responded to our treatment with FGA and eCG. In total, 82.8% of nanny-goats were pregnant 41 days after AI. Neither vaginal specula (Minitub: 81.2% vs. “Reyes”: 84.6%) nor artificial insemination technicians (A: 82.8% vs. B: 82.8%) affected fertility rates. Thus, we conclude that neither the vaginal specula used in this research nor the artificial insemination technicians affected Serrana goat pregnancy rates.
ISSN:1984-428X
2316-1817