High sperm production as related to macro- and microelement levels in blood serum in servicing bulls of the modern selection

Nowadays in commercial animal husbandry the intensive metabolizer genotypes are basically used. In such a case the animal health and performance should be characterized neither by the presence or absence of clinical manifestations of diseases, nor by decreased productivity or reproductive ability, but by the parameters of metabolism and its early violations at a subclinical level. Herein we summarize original data on the levels of the essential macroelements, in particular Ca, P, Mg, Fe and chlorides, and microelements, the Cu, Zn, Se and Mn, in blood serum of the superior sires as influenced by their age, beef or milk specialization and RED-factor expression. In our experiment the 2-7 year meat Aberdeen Angus, Herefordm, Lymousine cattle, milk Red-and-White Holsteine, Black-and-White Holsteine, Ayrshire cattle, and also universal Brown Swiss cattle were assessed ( n = 49 in total). The following parameters were investigated: an ejaculate volume, the spermatozoid number per ml, the percentage of spermatozoid motility in the native, diluted, frozen and thawed semen, and in the samples frozen, thawed and then incubated at 38 °С for 5 hours. The total spermatozoid number per ejaculate, semen dose number per each sire, frozen semen dose number sampled during 24 hour, and the percentage of culled native ejaculates were also assessed. It was shown the microelements to influence the semen quality and quantity. Macro- and microelement levels in the sires’ blood serum were shown to depend manly on the diet and should be constantly controlled and adjusted. According to the obtained data, the differences in macro- and microelement levels due to specialization and RED-factor expression are unreliable, while the changes in Са:Р ratio and Cu, Zn and chloride levels in blood serum influence the semen quality in the bull sires. Our data suggest that in each cattle breed the physiological standard levels of macro- and microelements in blood serum should be revised with respect to age, sex, physiological condition, a season, livestock farming technology and specialization. Besides, the data confirm the need for an integrated control and adjustment of animal supply with macro- and microelements referring to their deficit or excess in different geochemical provinces.