Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences1028-88801812-5735Asian Network for Scientific Information10.3923/pjbs.2007.986.988KabirM. OniO.O. AkpaG.N. AdeyinkaI.A. RekwotP.I. 62007106Fifty Rhode Island chickens were randomly assigned to
five treatments with ten cocks in each treatment. Group I cocks (full
fed control) received 140 g of a 16% CP growers ration per cock per day.
Cocks in Group II, III, IV and V received 98, 70, 42 and 28 g of the same
ration per cock per day, representing 70, 50, 30 and 20% of Group I intake,
respectively. The feeding trials lasted for 8 weeks during which one ejaculate
per day was collected from each cock using the massage technique. The
ejaculated semen samples were subjected to both physical and biochemical
evaluations. Results showed that cocks that were severely underfed (i.e.,
Groups IV and V) took significantly longer time (p<0.01) to ejaculate.
In addition, ejaculation failures were encountered more frequently with
the severely underfed cocks than in cocks that were moderately underfed
(i.e., Groups II and III). There were however, no significant differences
in most of the biochemical parameters between cocks I all the treatment
groups. Ejaculate volume, progressive sperm motility and sperm concentration
were significantly depressed (p<0.01) in the severely underfed cocks
than in the moderately underfed cocks. Thus, this study revealed that
providing Rhode Island red and white cocks with one-half to three-quarter
(i.e., 50-70%) of their normal daily ration would neither undermine their
semen producing ability nor affect their semen quality adversely.]]>Akpa, G.N., J.O. Ifut and F. Mohammed,200229264270Boone, M.B., B.L. Hughes and B.D. Barnett,196746251254Boone, M.A. and B.L. Hughes,19694817231729Davies, D.V., T. Mann and L.E.A. Rowson,1957B147332351Ezekwe, A.G., I.J. Udozor and C.O. Osita,200330127132Hafez, E.S.E.,19905th Edn.,pp: 481-497pp: 481-497Hocking, P.M. and R. Bernard,199738199202Lake, P.E., E.J. Butter, J.W. McCallum and J.J. Machtyre,195843309313Lake, P.E.,19661966pp: 93-123pp: 93-123Nwosu, C.C.,19791979pp: 87210Pana, C.I., D. Stoica, E.P. Dregotoiu, E.P. Midosanu and M. Stanescu,200018989Quinn, P.J., I.G. White and B.R. Wirrick,196612131139Steel, R.G.D. and J.H. Torrie,19802nd Edn.,Pages: 633Pages: 633