Effect of Dietary Fish Oil on Semen Quality and Reproductive Performance of Iranian Zandi Rams

The current study was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary fish oil on the semen quality and fertility potential of Zandi rams. For this purpose, a total of 15 Iranian Zandi rams were randomly assigned into three equal groups. The first group was a negative control and were fed without oil supplement. The second group was a positive control, and their diet contained palm oil, and the last group had a diet containing fish oil. All the diets were isocaloric and isonitrogenous. The rams were fed for 70 days, and the semen smaples were collected every 10 days. In experiment I, the evaluated parameters included semen volume, sperm concentration, motility, membrane integrity, and viability. In experiment II, 210 Iranian Zandi rams received CIDR for 12 days and 400 IU of equine chorionic gonadotropin at the time of CIDR removal. Then, they were assigned into three equal groups and artificially inseminated with semen samples. According to the obtained results, the supplementation of ram diet with fish oil as a source of omega-3 fatty acids improved the semen volume, sperm concentration, total motility, progressive motility, viability, membrane integrity, pregnancy rate, parturition rate, and lambing rate of the rams (P≤0.05). In conclusion, fish oil as a dietary supplement for rams could be an effective strategy to improve the semen quality of rams for artificial insemination and other goals.