Effect of sheep diets with macadamia by-product and protected fat on the quality of fresh and frozen semen

Abstract

The objective was to evaluate the seminal quality of Morada Nova sheep consuming diets supplemented with macadamia residue and protected fat. The experiment was carried out with 24 rams aged 18 or 30 months, distributed in four treatment groups: control (C), 50 g (MAC50) or 150 g (MAC150) of macadamia industrial by-product; and 50 g of protected fat (Megalac®), added to the concentrate. Semen was collected at four intervals: before supplementation (day 0), 30, 60 and 75 days after the beginning of supplementation. Semen was collected to measure volume, appearance, motility, vigour, swirling, concentration and morphology. At days 60 and 75, semen was frozen for determination of plasma membrane integrity, acrosome integrity and mitochondrial activity after thawing. Analysis of variance was performed and the means were compared by the SNK test. In the analysis of fresh semen, a significant effect (p 0.05). The inclusion of 50 or 150 g of macadamia residue or 50 g of Megalac in the diet does not alter the quantitative and qualitative aspects of fresh and post-thawed semen.

Keywords

• fatty acids
• Macadamia spp.
• sheep
• calcium salts
• seminal biotechnology