Semen quality characteristics of dairy goats.

Semen was collected, processed, and frozen from five dairy bucks for 2 successive yr for use in quality classification and evaluation for inclusion in artificial insemination programs. Semen was evaluated for volume, initial, postthaw and 37 degrees C incubated percent progressive motility, percent postthaw 3-h 37 degrees C incubated intact acrosomes, autoagglutination, whey-induced agglutination, and percent primary, secondary, and tertiary abnormalities. Significant high correlations were found between: percent progressive motility and percent intact acrosomes, percent intact acrosomes and percent autoagglutination, and percent autoagglutination and percent whey agglutination. Means of the postthaw quality parameters, percent progressive motility, percent intact acrosomes, and percent primary and secondary abnormalities were used to categorize ejaculates within each incubation time (0 and 2 h). At 0 h, 25 ejaculates were classified as high quality and 11 were low quality. Using 2-h data, 19 ejaculates were classified as high quality and 17 as low. Inclusion of both agglutination parameters in the 2-h data analysis resulted in 13 ejaculates categorized as high and 23 as low quality. Based on assessment with techniques used in bovine artificial insemination programs, semen quality of goat semen could be used to discriminate between acceptable or unacceptable ejaculates. Based on recommended sperm numbers per inseminate and average ejaculate characteristics the low number of marketable units per ejaculate would make incorporation of goats into existing artificial insemination programs prohibitive.