EFFECT OF BODY WEIGHT AND SCROTAL CIRCUMFERENCE ON SEMEN PRODUCTION TRAITS IN CROSSBRED HOLSTEIN FRIESIAN BULLS

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the influence of body weight and scrotal circumference and its
phenotypic correlation with semen production traits in crossbred Holstein Friesian bulls. Overall least-squares
mean for semen volume, sperm concentration, mass activity, initial sperm motility, post-thaw motility and
number of doses/ejaculate were 4.10±0.06 ml, 842.7±21.7 million/ml, 2.11±0.03, 55.6±0.0%, 49.8±0.0% and
196.92±5.4, respectively. The body weight and scrotal circumference of crossbred bulls influenced (p<0.01) all
semen production traits. The body weight was positively correlated (p<0.01) with scrotal circumference (0.85),
semen volume (0.56), sperm concentration (0.12), mass activity (0.41) and number of doses/ejaculate (0.49). The
phenotypic correlations of scrotal circumference with semen volume (0.47), sperm concentration (0.06), mass
activity (0.39) and number of doses/ejaculate (0.36) were positive (p<0.05). In brief, the bulls having body weight
between 450 to >650 kg and scrotal circumference >36 cm exhibited better performance with regard to majority
of the semen production traits.