This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by HOWARTH, B. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by HOWARTH, B., Jr

FERTILITY IN THE RAM FOLLOWING EXPOSURE TO ELEVATED AMBIENT TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY

Recent studies have demonstrated a loss of potential young as a result of heat stress on ejaculated spermatozoa before fertilization. Rabbit spermatozoa were capacitated for 6 hr in the uteri of does maintained at 32° C air temperature, recovered, and used to inseminate females maintained at 21° C; the spermatozoa retained their fertilizing capacity but contributed to subsequent embryo mortality before implantation (Howarth, Alliston and Ulberg, 1965). Ulberg & Burfening (1967) have shown a similar reduction in pre-implantation embryo survival for rabbit ova fertilized by spermatozoa cultured in vitro for 3 hr at 40° C, indicating a direct effect of heat on the spermatozoa.

This investigation was conducted to determine the effect of whole body exposure of mature rams to elevated ambient temperature in terms of both semen production and fertility during the initial