Uso de la ultrasonografía testicular en la evaluación de la fertilidad potencial de los toros

Abstract

One of the key factors in livestock production systems is reproductive efficiency. To achieve this traditional the focus has been on female animals. However, the introduction of artificial insemination forced the breeding community to consider the male in the reproductive process. As a consequence more and more focus has been given to the potential fertility of bulls in natural and artificial propagation programs. Bull fertility, being the condition sine qua non of the genetic potential value, is estimated at the level of Artificial Insemination Centers thorough clinical examination. However, the available tests only permitted the detection of bulls with severely compromised fertility and do not distinguish sub-fertile issues. To account for secondary fertility phenomenon, a series of complementary examinations saw recently daylight, and among them is ultrasonography a test that is standard incorporated in the screening of semen. In this presentation a description the ways this technique is carried out is given, providing at one hand the precautions to be taken by professionals and at the other hand its overall potential impact when used on the bulls in the Semen Production Centers. In practice, less attention is given to the benefit ultrasonography can give in the selection of bulls intended for natural mating.