SEMEN QUALITY PARAMETERS OF ADULT MALE NZW RABBITS FED DIETS ADDED WITH TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROBIOTICS

Helal, F. I.S.; El- Badawi, A. Y.; Abou-ward, G. A.; El-Naggar, Soad; Hassan, A. A.; Basyoney, M. M.; Morad, A. A. A.

doi:10.21608/ejnf.2018.75423

SEMEN QUALITY PARAMETERS OF ADULT MALE NZW RABBITS FED DIETS ADDED WITH TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROBIOTICS

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Animal Production Department, National Research Centre, Dokki, Giza, Egypt.

² By-product Utilization Department, Animal Production Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center, Dokki, Giza, Egypt.

³ Poultry Nutrition Department, Animal Production Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center, Dokki, Giza, Egypt.

10.21608/ejnf.2018.75423

Abstract

The present study was performed to evaluate the potential use of probiotics for improving semen quality of mature NZW rabbits. Twenty adult male NZW rabbits were assigned randomly into four equal groups that were fed four experimental diets for eight weeks. All experimental groups were fed a uniform rabbits pelleted diet, where (R1) diet without addition ( control), (R2 ) diet added with 0.1 % Bacillus subtilis, (R3 ) diet added with 0.1 % live Saccharomyces cerevisiae and (R4) diet added with 0.05 % Bacillus s. +0.05 % Saccharomyces c. Semen samples were collected at 5^th, 6^th, 7^th and 8^th weeks of the experimental period from all tested rabbits to evaluate ejaculate volume, total sperm output, sperm cell concentration, advanced sperm motility, sperm abnormalities, dead spermatozoa, testosterone level, initial fructose concentration and reaction time(Libido).Results obtained revealed that adding probiotics to the diet of NEW rabbit bucks improved (P> 0.05) their productive capability of male rabbit. Physical semen characteristics, blood testosterone level and initial fructose as well as the reaction time (Libido) were improved with supplemented diets, however these improvements for all parameters were associated with feeding the diet supplemented with Bacillus s. + Saccharomyces c. mixture. Therefore, it can be concluded that adding diet of buck with mixed probiotics culture of Bacillus s. and Saccharomyces c. in a ratio of (50:50 %) improved semen quality and reproductive performance.

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