Effect of local Iraqi goat semen supplemented with Alcoholic hemp extract on pregnancy and fecundity rate outside the breeding season

• Mohammed Hakim Abed Bresam1*, Hayder Mohammed Hassan Habeeb 1

  Author

Prolonged semen productivity during chilled storage is a vital step in the goat artificial insemination (AI) technique, predominantly during the non-breeding season.  The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of adding hemp alcoholic extract to the Tris-egg yolk diluent on the fecundity and pregnancy rate of local Iraqi goat semen. Three local male and 11 multiparous female goats were used in this study. Semen samples were collected, diluted from all males, and then divided into three groups: T0= control, T1= 1% 100µL, T2=1% 200µL, hemp alcoholic extract. All semen samples were kept in a refrigerator (5°C) until insemination. The estrous cycle was synchronized using a vaginal sponge containing 40 mg of Flurogestone Acetate (FGA) for 12 days. On the day of sponge removal, all animals were intramuscularly injected with 125 µg prostaglandin F2α and 400 IU equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG). 44 hours following sponge removal, a single vaginal insemination was performed by using fixed time AI (FTAI). Transabdominal ultrasonography was used for pregnancy diagnosis for all animals at 47 days following insemination. In addition, the fecundity rate was estimated following parturition. The results of the current study showed a pregnancy rate of 25% in T2, compared to 0% in both T0 and T1. In addition, the fecundity rate was significantly higher in T2 compared to other groups (P < 0.05). In conclusion, local goat semen supplemented with a specific concentration of hemp alcoholic extract yielded promising fertility in local Iraqi goats during the non-breeding season. Additional research is warranted to evaluate the protective antioxidant role of hemp through a large sample size.

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