Studies on the Egg Yolk Agglutinating Factors in Boar Semen

The author and his co-workers have found out that, when the diluents including egg yolk for freezing of boar spermatozoa were used, egg yolk agglutinated immediately after the dilution and most of the spermatozoa were enclosed into the agglutinated masses and their motility was drastically suppressed. On the other hand, by using skim milk-diluent widely used for storing liquid boar semen at 15°C in the field, agglutination in diluted semen has seldom occurred. This agglutination of diluted boar semen has been a great disadvantage for practice of artificial insemination on swine. The present experiment was performed to clarify the characteristics of factors causing agglutination, and to contribute to elongation of the survivals of boar spermatozoa in dilution, by preventing the occurrence of the agglutination.