ABSTRACT
The effects of genotype and age on semen qualitative characteristics of boar pigs were studied at the Piggery Research Unit of the Delta State University Farm, Asaba Campus, Nigeria. This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of different genetic groups and age of boar pigs on semen characteristics. Six boar pigs constituted the experimental stocks. They were raised intensively and separated according to genetic groups, respectively. Data were collected from the experimental animals over the period of the trial using standard methods. Data collected were subjected to analysis of variance and significantly different means separated by Scheffe using the General Linear Model (GLM) procedure SPSS (2010) program. Genotype effect is significant at (P<0.05) for most of the semen quality traits measured, with the exception of semen pH and primary abnormality (%). Age effect on semen quality parameters were significant (P<0.05) for most of the traits measured, except for semen pH; while the interaction effects of genotype x age on the semen traits measured were found not statistically significant at (P>0.05). The study revealed that genotype has a substantial effect on most of the traits measured except for pH and primary abnormality (%). The results also revealed that no genetic groups surpassed in all the semen characteristics monitored. Most of the semen parameters analyzed significantly differed between age groups of boars except for pH. |
