Research note: effects of agitation and temperature changes on turkey sperm viability after twenty-four hour storage

The effects of agitation and temperature changes on turkey sperm viability were estimated before and after 24 h storage at 7 C using the ethidium bromide (EB) procedure and a sperm stress test. The stress test is identical to the EB procedure except the buffer is hypotonic. Labile sperm lyse and are then stained with the EB. Treatments consisted of semen diluted 1:1 and subjected to one of the following procedures: agitation (pipetting up and down 25 times, repeated 4 times at 15-min intervals); temperature changes (semen moved from 7 to 26 C and back to 7 C 3 times at 30-min intervals); or control semen procedures (diluted semen is placed on an orbital shaker at 7 C). Each semen treatment was evaluated within 3 h of dilution and after 24 h storage. Agitation and temperature changes did not affect viability of sperm. Regardless of treatment, the EB procedure revealed no differences in sperm viability before or after 24 h storage. In contrast, the same samples subjected to the stress test revealed significant increases in nonviable sperm after 24 h storage. However, there was no treatment by test interaction. These data indicate that mixing semen with diluent and mild changes in semen temperature associated with the transport of semen between the interval of semen collection to insemination, even up to 24 h storage, have minor effects on sperm viability.