Effect of Different Extenders and Storage Periods on Motility and Fertility of Ram Sperm

The aim of this study was to test the effect of extenders containing different sugar in their composition on ram sperm motility and pregnancy rate of ewe’s following artificial insemination. Semen were collected from ten North-east Bulgarian fine-fleece breed and tested for quality. Semen was diluted with different extenders, with di- and trisaccharides. A series of experiments were repeated in triplicate. Total motility was determined by using Sperm Analysis (SCA, Microptic, Spain). A total of 200 North-east Bulgarian fine-fleece breed mature ewes were used for cervical insemination with a sperm dose at the concentration of 100 × 10⁶ spermatozoa. Pregnancies were diagnosed 60 days after AI by - a real-time ultrasonic scan device (Alloka SSD 500). In conclusion, our experiments demonstrated that higher sperm motility after storage at 4°C for 24 hours and 48 hours has a ram spermatozoa diluted with extender 1, with combination of disaccharides (sucrose and lactose) and trisaccharides (rafinosa). This semen extender (number 1) can be used for successful insemination of ewes and to enhance pregnancy rate after artificial insemination.