Studies on the Artificial Insemination in Pheasants

• Published in: Japanese poultry science Vol. 3; no. 2; pp. 83 - 87
• Main Authors: MARU, NAOMARU, ICHINOE, KENJI, ISHIJIMA, YOSHIRO, SAKUMA, YUZI, SASAKI, MINORU
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan Poultry Science Association 1966
• ISSN: 0029-0254
• DOI: 10.2141/jpsa.3.83

Artificial insemination in pheasants was reseached in this experiment. Seven Honshu Copper Pheasants, Phasianus soemmerringi scintillans, (1 male and 6 females), 3 Lesser Copper Pheasants, Phasianus soemmerringi scintillans, (1 male and 2 females) in special pheasant's aviary, and 3 Green Pheasants, Phasianus colchicus tohkaidi, (1 male and 2 females) in individual cages were used. Semen was collected by the abdominal massage method of Burrows and Quinn (1935). Immediately after collection semen was diluted with Ringer's solution to the ratio of 1:4, and 0.05ml semen was inseminated into the female once a week. All eggs were weekly put into the incubator for chicken, and fertility and hatchability were researched. Then results were obtained as follows: 1) On Copper Pheasant, the fertility was 90.1%, and the hatchability 85.3% to fertilized and 76.9% to incubated eggs, respectively: on Green Pheasant, 77.5%, and 87.1% and 67.5%. 2) The average volume of semen collected by the massage method once a week was 0.02ml in pheasant, and the initial motility of semen was 90%. 3) The numbers of aggs in a breeding season were 19 (11-40) in Copper Pheasant and 27 (18-35) in Green Pheasant. 4) From the above mentioned results, the breeding by artificial insemination in pheasants was recognized to be possible.