Dietary Supplementation with Sesame Seed to Improve Semen Quality of Ho Cocks

High levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids in chicken spermatozoa make them susceptible to lipoperoxidation and reduce their fertility. This study was conducted to assess the effect of sesame seed  suplementation in the diet on the semen quality of Ho cocks. Eighteen 13-14 month-old cocks were randomly divided into three groups and were assigned to one of the following treatments: 0% SS (control), 5% SS, or 7% sesame seeds per kg of diet for ten consecutive weeks after a two-week adaptation period. Semen characteristics were evaluated once a week. In the 7% sesame seed treatment group, seminal traits including semen ejaculate volume (1.02mL), sperm concentration (3.68 x 109 sperm), and abnormal spermatozoa (10.51% were improved (P <0.05) compared to the control group (0.82mL, 2.81 x 109 sperm, and 11.04% for semen ejaculate volume, sperm concentration, and abnormal spermatozoa, respectively). Supplementation with sesame seeds did not significantly affect sperm motility, mass movement, or semen pH. Our results demonstrate that sesame seed supplementation at 7% successfully improved the ejaculate volume, sperm concentration, and normal spermatozoa percentage of Ho cocks.