19/06/2023
🔬 Morphology Monday 🔬
Because of the large amount of interest in our last morphology post we thought we would do a short series on semen morphologies and evaluations.
We will bring you info on what we look for, the classifications of faults, causes, concerns, and what it means for you.
Morphology reports contain the following classifications -
▪️ Normal S***m
▪️ PD : Proximal Cytoplasmic Droplet
▪️ MP : Midpiece Abnormalities
▪️ HT : Loose Heads and Abnormal Tails
▪️ PY : Pyriform Heads
▪️ KA : Knobbed Acrosomes
▪️ VT : Vacuoles Teratoid
▪️ SA : Swollen Acrosomes
We identify the percentage of each type of s***m fault and assign the bull a grade of Tick, >70% normal s***m, Qualify, 50%-69% normal s***m, or Fail 20%-30% in an individual fault category.
Many breed organizations are now requiring, or at least recommending, morphologies be done on sale bulls (along with a VBBSE) so that buyers are purchasing with confidence that their new bulls will be reproductively sound.
This report not only gives us an insight into the reproductive health of a bull but can also be an sign of general health and well being. Morphologies can indicate if the bull is young/old, working, has been sick, stressed, and other environmental & husbandry factors.
There are bulls who pass physical exams and crushside motility tests, but have faults in their semen which could cause reduced fertility. On the flip side, we've even seen some herd bulls have passing morphology, but no pregnancies. That can imply that the bull has physical issues, such as difficulty mounting, that need to be looked into.
Morphology is an excellent tool that helps owners, breeders, sellers, and buyers make informed decisions about bulls and reproductive plans for their mobs 🐮
**Next week we will go into PDs, Proximal Cytoplasmic Droplets, one of the more common faults we see in young and non-working bulls🐂
