Artificial insemination of Percheron and Breton breed mares with fresh semen diluted in extenders with skimmed powder milk and coconut water

Abstract

This experiment was carried out at Animal Reproduction Laboratory and Equine Section of the Experimental Farm of Universidade Estadual de Maringá, in the period of September 97 trough March 98. The objective was to study the effects of two extenders on artificial insemination (AI) of Percheron and Breton breeding mares. One Percheron stallion and sixteen mares were used. The mares were inseminated with fresh semen diluted in two extenders formulated with skimmed powder cow milk (LS) and coconut water (AW) on the day ovarian follicles with 3.5 cm of diameter were observed. They. were alloted in a completely randomized design with eight animals in each treatments. The data were analyzed utilizing chi-square test and variance analyses. The analysis of the data showed there were no difference (P > 0.05) between the treatments regarding pregnancy rate of the mares in first, second and third estrous cycles, number of fecund and not fecund artificial inseminations, pregnancy/AI, total pregnancy rate, number of AI/pregnancy, progressive motility and vigor of spermatozoa of semen. The result led to the conclusion that both extenders were efficient in the AI of these breed mares, utilizing fresh semen.