Assessment of sperm quality parameters of native Polish Crested chickens in relation to short-term storage *

Liquid storage of semen is of practical interest in the management of native chickens kept under biodiversity conservation programs. The objective of this study was to examine semen quality from native Polish Crested (PCr) in comparison to Hy-Line Brown (HLB) roosters, and to assess the effect of short-term storage on semen quality. The evaluation of semen collected from 12 roosters (5 times) was performed at 0, 24 and 48 h of storage using CASA and a flow cytometer. Fresh PCr semen was characterized by good quality, with the proportions of total motility (MOT) and viable sperm greater than 93.0%, while the proportion of sperm with apoptotic and chromatin changes (DFI) was below 5.0%. The proportion of PCr apoptotic sperm, with chromatin and membrane damage was lower after storage than that of HLB. Thus, the gradual increase in DFI (%) after 24 and 48 h compared to 0 h was about half as large in PCr as in HLB. However, semen storage resulted in a similar gradual reduction in MOT and similar moderate changes in sperm kinetic motility parameters in both genetic groups. The PCA analysis of sperm parameters revealed three principal components, explaining more than 80.0% of the cumulative variance. On the basis of the relationship between sperm parameters, it is possible to reduce the semen dataset, thereby possibly improving the assessment of future fertility. In summary, MOT, motility parameters and DNA integrity were more affected than other sperm functions during storage of PCr semen. The results can be used to create guidelines to support breeding programs for native poultry breeds worldwide.