Alterations in the rate of fertility, egg viability and hatch parameters of adult geese exposed to different breeding methods

Abstract

In a 10 weeks’ study, alterations in the rate of fertility, egg viability and hatch parameters of adult geese exposed to different breeding methods were investigated. Twenty-four matured geese (4.0±0.45 average weight) were randomly divided into 3 groups (TNM - Natural mating group, TIM – Artificial insemination group, TNI – Natural mating and insemination group) of 2 replicates with 4 geese per replicate in a completely randomised design. Fresh semen collected from six ganders (5.2±0.69 average weight) was pooled and used to inseminate the geese in TIM and TN1 at 0.2Ml at insemination times. The geese in TNM and TNI were allowed to mate naturally. Insemination and mating was done at 3 days’ interval and eggs from each treatment were collected daily. Incubation of eggs was done weekly, candling and transfer to hatcher were done on day 27 and goslings hatched out on day 30. Fertility, early embryo mortality (EEM), mid embryo mortality (MEM), late embryo mortality (LEM), hatch of fertile eggs (HOF) and hatch of set eggs (HOS) were obtained and analysed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA and means separated using Least significant difference test. Geese in TNI had significantly higher fertility (93.33±10.97%) than TNM (59.67±31.29%) and TIM (83.60±17.14%). The EEM was higher in TIM than in the two other groups while the HOF and HOS were higher in TNM and TNI than in TIM. This study suggests that in comparison with TIM, higher fertility, hatchability and lower embryo mortality can be obtained when geese are inseminated and naturally mated simultaneously.