Troubleshooting infertility in antelope and cattle species
Linda M Penfold Numbers of estrus cycles per lifetime
Breeding: 9 month gestation, ~21 cycles by age 9; 15-20 year longevity = 39-52 estrus cycles in a lifetime Non-breeding: ~84 estrus cycles by age 9; 156-216 estrus cycles in a lifetime Impala
14
12 36 33
10
8 10/10 11/12 6
4
2 3/3 2 years
0 2-3 4-9 4-9 5 years 4 years Common eland -
18 16 20 5/17 14 12 10 8 6 open 8 years 7/7 5/6 4 2 0 1 2-23 8-39 >124 O 6 years Nile lechwe
12
10
8
8 years 6
4
2
0 2-3 4-9 >10 2-3 4-9 >10
7 years 18 months Antelope and cattle species
[Has the animal been contracepted] Male Female Has the animal reproduced before?
Yes No Yes No
Hormone profiles/ Is/are the female(s) mature? Check the females Check the male Check if cycling How long has she been open? (unless it is a bongo) Or switch males What is the body condition?
Hormone therapy to regulate Cycles or support pregnancy Semen quality
Giant eland Grevy’s zebra Relatively easy option to check the male in the US Anoa – bilaterally cryptorchid Gerenuk
CM. VanderKlok, LM. Penfold, J Siegal-Willott, SB. Citino. (2008). Idiopathic infertility in two male gerenuk (Litocranius walleri walleri). Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine. 39: 398-405. Onset of puberty in gerenuk
Age 8-11 mo 12-17 m 18-26 mo 3-6 yrs ( n=4) (n=3) (n=9) (n=6)
Mot % 0 37.5 ± 8.3 56.6 ± 3.2 59.2 ± 6.1 Morph % 0 10.3 ± 1.9 34.4 ± 6.2 41.5 ± 6.7 Vol ml 0 0.41 ± 0.15 1.4 ± 0.4 1.8 ± 0.5 Testes vol 5.5 ± 2.7 12.5 ± 1.7 18.7 ± 1.6 23.7 ± 1.8 Conc × 106 0 44.8 ± 15.5 651 ± 274 301 ± 169 Total sperm x 106 0 22.6 ± 15.6 574 ± 165 303 ± 90.6 Total sperm Motility % Normal morphology% Roan <1 0 10 Sable 41 8 20 Bongo <1 10 7 8 Slenderhorn 1.4 0 28 2072 78 80 Gerenuk (n=9) 650 ± 274 56.6 ± 3.2 34.4 ± 6.2 Springbok 818 88 42 Wildebeest 1738 60 98 Nyala 2024 50 . 2291 50 . Nile lechwe 4368 90 93 J hartebeest (n=7) 4700 ± 1141 46.0 ± 3.5 45 ± 25
Cape hartebeest 5621 ± 1991 64 ± 5.1 87 ± 2.3 (n=3) Soemmering 6138 93 87 5880 90 100 Addax 10,009 90 48 Giant eland 13,909 66 95 (n=13) Banteng 53,399 80 99 Roan
Semen volume 2.2 ml Concentration <1.0 × 106 Motility 0% Normal morphology 10% Congenital goiter in bongo
Adult male, maintained with a herd of females for several years, no offspring Enlarged neck, polycystic filled with clear yellow fluid Semen volume: 2.86 ml Motility: 5% Concentration: 8 x 106/ml Normal morphology: 7%
Clinical and morphologic findings of familial goiter in bongo antelope (Tragelaphus eurycerus). CA Schiller, RJ Montali, S Doi Veterinary Pathology, 1995 - vet.sagepub.com Main causes of infertility in female hoofstock
Females left open too long (impala, Nile lechwe) Irregular cycling, early/late pregnancy loss (okapi) Believed refractory to the breeding male (suids) Freemartinism (lesser kudu, steenbok?) Main causes of infertility in male hoofstock
Congenital goiter (bongo) Long periods of chronic ill health Infertility is generally rare in male hoofstock Top 10 reasons for ‘infertility’
Male not put with female Male not put with female long enough Female left open too long Female refractory to male (suids) Inappropriate social grouping Irregular cycling Progesterone insufficiency Individuals are over conditioned/under conditioned Contraception implant not removed Animal is too young/small Antelope and cattle
Infertility rates – low Generally not the males Advanced age usually does not diminish semen quality “Use it or Lose it” for the females, with possible increased sensitivity in some species (impala and Nile lechwe) Gamete Rescue
Make a plan for banking genetics of valuable males Bank additional serum and tissue samples at the same time Add a cheat sheet to the AZAUngulate website PROPOSED GUIDELINES FOR NATIONAL MOVEMENT OF BOVIDAE SEMEN BETWEEN ZOOLOGICAL INSTITUTIONS. LM Penfold N Hall, G Pye. AAZV 2016