RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BODY MEASUREMENTS AND SEMEN CHARACTERISTICS IN KANO BROWN BUCKS FED GROUNDNUT HAULMS SUPPLEMENT

Abstract

A study was conducted to determine the relationship between body measurements and semen characteristics in Kano Brown bucks (KBB). Twenty (20), twelve (12) months old KBB with an average body weight of 12.3 kg were used. The animals were randomly allocated to 5 treatments (n = 4 animals per treatment) in a completely randomized design. Data were collected for 16 weeks. Group 1 (control) were fed with the basal diet (wheat bran and sorghum chaff) at the ratio of 2:1. Groups 2, 3, 4 and 5 were also fed the basal diet and supplemented with 100, 200, 300 and 400g/head/day of groundnut haulms respectively. Results showed that, semen volume was positively correlated with initial weight, final weight, weight gain, feed intake, hearth girth, withers height, body length and scrotal circumference (r = 0.026 to 0.308, p<0.05). Semen colour was negatively correlated with weight gain, withers height, body length, initial weight, final weight, feed intake, heart girth and scrotal circumference (r=-0.052 to -0.189, p<0.05). Semen pH was found to be positively correlated with initial weight, final weight, weight gain, withers height, body length, and scrotal circumference (r =0.022 to 0.322, p<0.05). In other words it is negatively correlated with feed intake and heart girth (r =-0.035 to -0.004, p>0.50). Live and dead ratio was shown to be positively correlated with final weight, weight gain, feed intake, heart girth, withers height, body length, scrotal circumference (r = 0.038 to 0.430, p<0.05), but negatively correlated with initial weight (r = -0.009, p>0.05). Semen concentration was positively correlated with body length (r=0.211, p<0.01), but negative correlated with other body growth parameters (r=-0.40 to -0.153, p>0.05). On other hand, sperm motility was positively correlated with weight gain, feed intake, hearth girth, withers height, and scrotal circumference (r = 0.001 to 0.059, p>0.05), while it was negatively correlated with initial weight, final weight, and body length (r = -0.006 to -0.075, p>0.05). It is concluded that supplementation of up to 400g per head per day of groundnut haulms resulted in increased positive relationship between growth parameters and semen traits of Kano Brown bucks.