Present studies were carried out to clarify the effects of cock serum on the motility, deformity and fertility of cock spermatozoa.
Semen was collected from 10-15 roosters by the method of abdominal massage. The semen was centrifuged for 5 minutes at a speed of 3, 000r.p.m, and the spermatozoa were washed twice with phosphate buffer (δ=0.615, pH=7.17) and resuspended in cock serum diluted at different rates with the phosphate buffer. Observation and insemination were performed just after treatment or after storage at 0°C for one to six days.
The results obtained are as follows:
(1) When the washed spermatozoa were resuspended in phosphate buffer, motility of spermatozoa was extremely suppressed. However, fertility was not affected.
(2) Motility of washed spermatozoa, which was suppressed by phosphate buffer, was wholly regained with addition of cock serum.
(3) Cock serum diluted 6- or 8-fold with phosphate buffer was highly effective for the storage of washed spermatozoa, compared to undiluted cock serum and phosphate buffer.
(4) Fertility of washed spermatozoa stored for 1 day at 0°C was higher in cock serum diluted 6- or 8-fold (36-81%) than in phosphate buffer (0-24%) and undiluted cock serum (0%).
These results show that the addition of cock serum in a low concentration to phosphate buffer is useful for the storage of cock spermatozoa in vitro.

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1. The living cock sperm inseminated in the posterior vagina were detected in the anterior vagina after 60 minutes and in the uterus after 90 minutes. In the anterior vaginal insemination, they were detected in the uterus after 40 minutes.
2. Both the living heterogeneous sperm and the dead cock sperm inseminated in the posterior vagina were not detected in the vagina and the uterus beyond 30 minutes after the insemination. Methylen blue stained only the mucous epithelium of the injected lower portion of the vagina. Following the anterior vaginal insemination, the living heterogeneous sperm were detected in the uterus or the upper portion in some instances, but the dead sperm were detected nowhere of the oviduct.
3. Following the posterior vaginal insemination of the mixture of living and dead cock sperm, and of the mixed living cock and bull sperm, only the living cock sperm were detected in the anterior vagina and the uterus.
4. The living cock sperm inseminated in the cloaca were detected in the anterior vagina after 150 minutes. The percentage of fertile eggs from the 2nd day to the 7th day following the cloacal insemination was 73.5 in 23 hens. The first fertile eggs were laid on the 2nd day after the insemination. The dead sperm inseminated in the cloaca were detected nowhere in the vagina and the uterus. Methylen blue injected in the cloaca stained only the mucous epithelium of the cloaca.
5. In the cases of the 7 to 12 posterior vaginal or cloacal inseminations at the intervals 2 to 10 minutes, the dead sperm and methylen blue could not reach to the upper part of the vagina.
6. Following the intra-uterine inseminations, all of the living and dead cock sperm, the living heterogeneous sperm and methylen blue, progressed rapidly to the upper part of the oviduct. On the other hand, both the living and the dead sperm were ejected rapidly through the utero-vaginal junction. But the downward transport of methylen blue was not found. It was presumed that methylen blue had been absorbed completely in the mucous epithelium of the uterus and the upper portion of oviduct before the utero-vaginal junction was made loose.
Antiperistaltic movement on the hen vagina has never been observed during the process of the posterior vaginal insemination under the laparotomy. This obsevation and the above-mentioned experimental results suggest that the motility of sperm itself is the main factor in the mechanism of the upward transport of sperm in the hen's vagina.
When living cock and dead sperm, living heterogeneous sperm and methylen blue were inseminated in the posterior end of the vagina, only the living cock sperm were transported up to the anterior end of the vagina and then into the uterus. It is likely that this phenomenon is caused by the "Sperm selective function" in the hen's vagina. The heterogeneous sperm reduced their motility rapidly in the hen vagina. These lowmotile sperm and the inert substances such as dead sperm and methylen blue were expelled by the peristaltic and ciliary movement to the posterior end in the vagina.
Methylen blue could not pass either upward or downward through the utero-vaginal junction. Since the dead sperm inseminated in the uterus passed down through this junction rapidly, it can be considered that the barreir of this junction was not so tight and was loosened to let the contents pass within a short time.

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To determine SAA (sulfur containing amino acid) requirement for White Leghorn growing chickens, low protein diets containing 0.25% (basal) -0.55% SAA were fed chickens from 10 to 20 weeks of age. Basal diet was semi-purified diet mainly composed of cornstarch and soybean meal, and contained 8% protein, 0.25% SAA and 75% TDN (total digestible nutrients). Levels of SAA in the diets were corrected by DL-methionine. After 20 weeks of age, a standard laying diet was fed all the pullets.
Body weight gain, feed efficiency and nitrogen retention of the chickens fed a low protein basal diet during 10-20 weeks of age, decreased drastically. However, the addition of 0.05% methionine to the basal diet showed a significant increase in growth rate, feed efficiency and nitrogen retention. Maximum weight gain, feed efficiency and nitrogen retention were seen in the pullets fed a diet containing 0.40% SAA (0.15% methionine supplemented to the basal diet).
Pullets fed a basal diet delayed sexual maturity significantly, while subsequent egg production, egg weight, feed consumption and feed conversion during laying period were not affected by SAA levels in the diets fed chickens at 10-20 weeks of age.
It was concluded that for maximum growth, optimum SAA level in the diet of growing chickens of 10-20 weeks of age was 0.40%, while only 0.30% SAA level in growing diet was adequate to optimum sexual maturity and subsequent egg production.

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Two experiments were conducted to determine the effect of the levels of the dietary UP (crude protein) and SAA (sulfur containing amino acid), and the ratios of SAA to CP in the diets for White Leghorn growing chickens on their performance.
Nine experimental diets of 3 CP levels (8, 11 and 14%) X 3 ratios (3.0, 3.75 and 4.5%) of SAA to UP were fed to the chickens from 10-20 weeks of age. All the diets were mainly composed of corn starch and soybean meal. Diets of 3.0% of SAA to CP were not supplemented with methionine, but diets of 3.75 and 4.5% of SAA to CP were corrected by methionine supplementation. After 20 weeks of age, all the pullets were fed a standard laying diet.
The results were as follows.
1. The growth and feed efficiency of chickens fed 8% CP diet without supplementary methionine decreased drastically, during 10-20 weeks of age, and the reduction was much larger in summer (Expt. 2) than in winter (Expt. 1).
2. The addition of methionine to the diets with any of the protein levels improved the growth rate and feed efficiency. The effectiveness of methionine supplementation was much more in 8% CP level than 11 and 14% CP levels in the diet.
3. The optimum ratio of SAA to CP was 3.75% at 11 and 14% dietary CP levels, while 4.5% at the lowest protein level.
4. Sexual maturity delayed in the pullets fed the lowest protein diet without supplementary methionine, while subsequent egg production, egg weight and feed conversion were not affected by CP level and the ratio of SAA to CP in diets fed during the growing period of chickens.

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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