Perfluorochemical emulsions as turkey semen diluents: effects of varying aeration treatments and aqueous phase on fertilizing capacity of semen stored for twenty-four hours.

In a preliminary study, it was found that aeration of turkey semen diluted 1:2 with a phosphate buffer diluent (PD) and stored for 24 h at 12 to 13 C improved the fertilizing capacity relative to that obtained from PD-diluted semen that was not aerated (63.8 and 14.0%, respectively). Emulsifying PD with an equal volume of the oxygen carrier perfluorobutyltetrahydrofurane (FC-80) and using the resulting emulsion as a diluent further increased the fertility (86.6%), but the best fertility was from unstored, undiluted semen (98.0%). The efficacy of using emulsions of aqueous diluents with FC-80 for 24-h cold storage of turkey semen was studied in detail. When semen diluted with PD:FC-80 emulsions received varying levels of O2 for aeration, the fertilizing capacity of semen aerated with 60 or 100% O2 (86.1 and 89.6%, respectively) was significantly greater (P < or = .05) than that obtained using 20% oxygen (78.5%). The FC-80 emulsions that were made using commercially available diluents in place of the PD were tested with 100% O2 aeration during storage. The percentage fertility obtained from emulsions made with Beltsville Poultry Semen Extender or Lake's 7.1 "mm" Diluent was significantly greater (P < or = .05) than that for PD or Minnesota Turkey Growers Association Extender (90.5 and 90.2% vs 77.6 and 72.6%, respectively). This research demonstrates that perfluorochemicals may be useful for cold storage of turkey semen when emulsified with optimum diluents and aerated with > or = 60% O2.