1 GOAT SEMEN COLLECTION AND PROCESSING BY DR. LOUIS ...

The resorption of sperm is weak in the epididymis with most loss occurring in the urine or by
masturbation. The epididymal sperm reserves available daily for ejaculation are readily depleted
with approximately 62% of the potential daily sperm collection being obtained in the first two
ejaculates. Epididymal replenishment is fairly rapid and collections twice per day at 24 hr intervals
have been practiced in well-managed facilities. In adult Alpine males ejaculated once per day during
the breeding season, weekly production of up to 25 billion spermatozoa per animal have been
attained.
Even with our ability to supposedly package enough viable and morphologically normal cells
in a straw or ampule, there remains factors of semen that contribute to fertility (or lack thereof) that
are not well understood. It has been found in many bull studs that bulls with high semen quality
credentials give lower than desirable fertility. Conversely, some ejaculations of "apparent" poor
visual quality readily settle animals. These unknowns might range from subtle differences in the
DNA makeup to handling and inseminating interacting with the semen available. Recent
development of tests to evaluate the integrity of the internal nucleic acid component may shed light
on fertility availability.
Subjective evaluation of semen has been the one method commonly used out of necessity,
because no other alternatives were available. Unfortunately, this approach is often prone to observer
bias and error. To eliminate this bias, a number of computerized semen analyzers have recently been
introduced onto the market. Any system of this type must rely on image size, shape, and/or grey
scale characteristics to distinguish individual spermatozoa and differentiate them from debris that
may be present in the field of view. Such discrimination is not 100% accurate. Even if a system
were very accurate and precise in its tracking and detection, the objective data obtained might not be
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