02925naa a2200205 a 450000100080000000500110000800800410001910000210006024500650008126000090014652023690015565000170252465000100254165000170255165000110256870000210257970000190260070000210261977300790264015163352025-06-30       1994    bl uuuu     u00u1 u    #d1 aBHOSREKAR, M. R.  aA note in deep freezing of ram semen.h[electronic resource]  c1994  aSheep is an important livestock species and they contribute greatly ta the agrarian economy especially in the arid/semiarid and mountaneous areas where crop and dairy farming are not economical. Introducing artificial insemination in sheep with frozen semen of exotic outstanding rams will help in the devolopment of indegenous breeds of sheep for higher production of wool/hair and mutton. Four Awassi rams in the age group of 1 year 8 months to 2 year 9 months having body weight of 55 to 75 kg belonging to Goat and sheep research and devolopment institute. Phaltan were taken for study. The semen collection was done every day between 9 ta 9.30 a.m. by artificial vagina technique in the collection cup specially designed for the purpose without the use of rubber cones. This facilitated the collection of semen directly in the cup without wastage. The cup was held in plastic beaker having 35ºC warm water to avoid thermal shock. Ten collections from each ram were taken over a period of 10 days, Observation on the semen ejaculate volume, sperm concentration, initial forward motility, live cou nt, sperm abnormal count and acrosomal maintenance were recorded by using standard techniques. (Bhosrekar et al 1991). In proportion of i:2 at room temperature. The diluted semen was then transferred to cold handling cabinet (5ºC) along with the plastic beaker having water ta avoid thermal shock. The cooling look 2.5 hours after which the semen was further diluted by pre-cooled portion of above dilutent containing 8 percent glycerol in three equal portions at the interval of 10 minutes, 50 that the final concentration of glycerol couId be 4% and dilution rate could be 1:4. The semen was then packaged in mini (0.25ml) French straws. Equilibration period of 5 hours was given before the semen was frozen over liquid nitrogen vapour in wide mouth MVE320 container. The semen racks were held horizontally at the height of 20cm in the container for 8 minutes at the temperature of 80BC. The frozen semen was collected by pre-cooled longs and placed on plastic goblets and was immersed in liquid nitrogen. The. observation on mean values of seminal parameters and on freezability are given in table 1. From the result it was seen that ram semen could be succesfully frozen and could be utilised for sheep improvement programme through artificial insemination.  aCongelamento  aOvino  aReprodução  aSêmen1 aGHALSASSI, P. M.1 aPUROHIT, J. R.1 aMANGURKAR, B. R.  tThe Indian Journal of Animal Reproductiongv. 15, n. 2, p. 157, Dec. 1994.