A comparison of ram semen collected by the artificial vagina and by electro-ejaculation

Abstract

Seven samples obtained alternately by the use of an artificial vagina and by electro-ejaculation from nine rams were compared. Electro-ejaculation resulted in higher volume, fructose and pH values but lower sperm concentration and wave motion. The proportion of live sperm, of morphologically normal sperm, and of actively progressing sperm were similar for both methods. The variation in semen characters, both within and between rams was, in general, slightly higher for electro-ejaculation than for artificial vagina collections. Within-ram variation in total number of sperm was much larger with electro-ejaculation than with collections made using the artificial vagina. For studies of fructose concentration or the total amount of fructose per ejaculate, the artificial vagina method possesses no advantage over electro-ejaculation.