This article is based on the author’s assignment for her DC 43: Development Writing course where they were asked to write a science article from one of the theses or special projects in any of the agriculture programs in the college.

Artificial Insemination (AI) is an important tool in improving the reproductive performance of birds such as broiler breeders like chickens. AI is widely used in reproductive technology in the livestock industry.

Farmers have been trying for the past years to improve their breed with little to no success. But thanks to AI, farmers and breeders now have better chances of breeding their poultry.

AI happens when the collection of semen from the male and its characteristics in terms of motility, viability and concentration followed by its deposition of the female reproductive tract.

One research shows that mass activity and motility of chicken semen is now possible with the use of coconut water as extender.

How is that possible?

Why is there a need for an extender? And why coconut water?

Ms. Shian Tegulo of Xavier University’s College of Agriculture made a pretest on crossing of naked neck chickens with kabir, two very different and distinct breeds of chickens. She wanted to compare the viability of the semen under different treatments of coconut water extender at different temperatures, with the use of three naked neck cockerels as the source of semen, the researcher made sure that the cockerels were all sexually active to be able to produce semen.

But how does extenders work in the insemination? Extenders are liquid diluent which are added to semen to preserve its fertilizing ability. It acts as a buffer to protect the sperm cells from their own toxic byproducts, extenders allow the semen to be shipped to the female. As to why the researcher used coconut water as extender for the insemination, coconut water as extender is suitable for the cockerel semen preservation, thus it is advisable to be used immediately and not for longer time storage. This can help many farmers to have an ease in mating their poultry to increase the efficiency of higher fertility rate and hatchability.

The abdominal massage method was applied to the three subjects, gently handling the cockerels for the semen to be produced, then semen is collected from each cockerels every day, the method was done every day for a total period of five weeks, having to handle these birds every single day is quite a job, talk about dedication. During the collection, the extenders, which is the coconut water were made sure to be maintained at 40 degrees Celsius.

Each semen produced were macroscopically evaluated immediately after collection and recorded directly from the semen collection, mass activity and motility were given attention from the time of collection. In a span of two months, Shian found out that indeed coconut water is efficient as an alternative extender for chicken insemination, it was proven that regardless of the temperature, mass activity and motility happens in the chicken semen although regarding its efficiency, the researcher advices the immediate use of the extender for it may not be suitable for a long time storage.

Good productions as well as good reproduction are two essential elements for making farming business a profitable one, now thanks to Artificial insemination farmers and breeders will no longer have a hard time in trying to reproduce more of their poultry.
Easy, safe and doable, this study uses coconut water and takes it to a whole new level.
Animal science at its finest. Would you look at chickens the same way after reading this?