Anti-sperm antibodies and fertility of turkey hens

Anti-sperm antibody titers increase with time in serum of turkey hens following a standard production schedule of artificial insemination (AI). In hens receiving intravenous (IV) or intraperitoneal (IP) additional AI, serum anti-sperm antibody levels increase more rapidly after a lag phase. A single injury to the oviduct also resulted in increased anti-sperm antibodies similar to IV and IP groups. This is a new observation that a single injury increased antibody titers to spermatozoa equal in IV and/or IP injections. A negative correlation between serum anti-sperm antibody titers for IV, IP and injury to oviduct and fertility of these groups was observed. Hens of IV and injury to oviduct groups with high levels of anti-sperm antibodies in the last 2 weeks of production had significantly lower fertility than hens with low levels of antibodies and control hens.