TITLE:
Breeding Soundness Examination of Mpwapwa Breed Bulls: Suitability for Use as Natural Service and Artificial Insemination Sires
AUTHORS:
Kabuni Thomas Kabuni, Erick Vitus Gabriel Komba, Dafay Buay Bura, Timothy Parkinson, Richard Laven, Andy Peters
KEYWORDS:
Artificial Insemination Breeding Programme, Breeding Soundness Examination, DNA Fragmentation, Mpwapwa Breed Bulls Semen Quality
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.12 No.7,
July
28,
2025
ABSTRACT: Breeding soundness examination, semen examination and sperm DNA fragmentation were assessed in Mpwapwa breed bulls to determine their suitability for use as natural service or AI sires. Based on the available research facility, 53 of the 120 Mpwapwa bulls at the Tanzania Livestock Research Institute (TALIRI) were examined. Bulls were 28 - 49 months old (Mean: 40.7, SD: 13.6 months) and BCS 4 (1 - 5 scale). Mean scrotal circumference was 27.5 cm (Range: 24 - 33 cm, SD: 1.9) cm, and was unrelated to age (p > 0.50). Semen was collected by electro ejaculation. Six bulls produced only seminal plasma. Mean volume of the remaining ejaculates was 5.5 mL (range: 1.9 - 14.9 mL, SD: 1.9 mL). Mean ejaculate density was 303 × 106 sperm/mL (range: 57 - 966, SD: 258): 31 bulls produced ejaculates with ≤400 × 106 sperm/mL and 8 bulls ejaculates with ≥700 × 106 sperm/mL. The mode score for mass motility (4-point scale: −, +, ++, +++) was ++ (24 bulls: 51%), 23% of bulls (11) were scored as +++ and 12 (26%) as +. Most (41/47: 87.2%) bulls had ≥70% motile sperm, but only 19 bulls had ≥80% motile sperm. Few (4/47, 8.5%) bulls had 6 sperm/mL and normal morphology ≥80% would be suitable for use as natural service sires for low-intensity breeding.