SEMEN QUALITY AND EGG HATCHABILITY IN LOCAL TURKEY FED DIETS CONTAINING MORINGA OLEIFERA

ABSTRACT
The experiment was conducted to determine semen quality, fertility, egg hatchability and some
biochemical parameters in Nigerian local turkey toms fed diets containing Moringa oleifera (MO),
Gongronema latifolium (GL) leaf meals and their combinations. A total of 72 Nigerian local turkeys
comprising of 54 males and 18 females were used for the study. The males were randomly divided
into 9 treatment groups, each treatment was replicated 3 times with 2 toms per replicate. The
treatment diets were given only to the toms, starting from three month of age through the
experimental period. The experimental animals were fed and given water properly, twice a day
without restriction. All the management practices were carried out to the best of ability. The males in
all the treatment groups were weighed weekly to determine their daily and weekly body weight gain.
At 26 weeks of age, toms were trained for semen collection, and 32 weeks of age, semen was collected
using abdominal massages. Samples were analyzed for colour, volume, progressive motility, sperm
concentration, viability and sperm morphology. Fresh semen sample were also collected per
treatment in vials' stored in ice block and analyzed for fructose, Na and K. A total of 18 hens were
randomly shared 2 per treatment corresponding to the 9 treatments. Pooled Semen from each
treatment was used to inseminate the hens twice a week at the beginning of egg lay and once a week
subsequently. A total of 225 eggs were collected and incubated in weekly batches, analyzed for
fertility and hatchability. The result revealed that M. oleifera and G. latifolium leaf meals had
significant (P<0.05) effects on the semen quality parameters measured. M. oleifera fed tom at 3kg
yielded the best result: ejaculate volume 0.58ml, motility= 92.93%, Conc.= 4.82(x10/ml 9), live
sperm= 94.13%, normal sperm 91.38% and corresponding lower values for percentage dead and
abnormal sperm.