Relationships among scrotal and testicular characteristics, sperm production, and seminal quality in 129 beef bulls

Abstract

Standard breeding soundness examinations plus measurement of scrotal surface temperature (SST), internal/scrotal testicular temperatures, testicular ultrasonographic echotexture, daily sperm production, and epididymal sperm reserves were conducted on 129, 16-month-old crossbred beef bulls. There were significant positive linear correlations between SST and internal scrotal/testicular temperatures, a positive linear regression (P < 0.06) of bottom SST with the incidence of secondary sperm defects, but a negative linear regression (P < 0.01) with the incidence of primary sperm defects. Testicular echotexture had a positive linear regression with daily sperm production (P < 0.002) and testicular tone had a negative linear regression (P < 0.008) with epididymal sperm reserves. Scrotal circumference had a positive linear regression (P < 0.04) with the percentage of progressively motile sperm, a negative linear regression (P < 0.1) with the incidence of primary sperm defects, and a positive linear regression (P < 0.0001) with epididymal sperm reserves. In addition to seminal quality and scrotal circumference, testicular ultrasonographic echotexture has considerable promise for augmenting breeding soundness examinations of bulls.