5. EFFECTS OF THE FLUID FROM THE EJACULATORY GROOVE REGION ON THE SPERMATOZOA OF THE DRAKE

ABSTRACT The effects of the fluid from the ejaculatory groove region (EGR-fluid) on the survival and fertilizing ability of spermatozoa of the drake were examined. Semen was collected from the ductus deferens and divided into three parts; one remained undiluted (control 1) and other two were diluted with EGR-fluid and phosphate buffer (control 2) respectively. The survival of spermatozoa stored in the EGR-fluid was similar to that of controls but many spermatozoa were deformed during storage, the rate of which reached 57 % in the samples stored for 24 hours. The fertilizing ability of the fresh (unstored) spermatozoa was not adversely affected by the addition of EGR-fluid but a rather favourable effect of the fluid was recognized. In contrast, when the spermatozoa were stored in vitro, the EGR-fluid exerted an adverse effect on the fertilizing ability of spermatozoa. POULTRY SCIENCE 55: 2415-2420, 1976 THE ejaculatory groove region which is considered to be an accessory reproduc-tive organ of the drake ejects a fluid similar to lymph at copulation, and the fluid (EGR-fluid) is mixed with the semen ejected from the ductus deferens to constitute the ejaculate of the drake (Nishiyama et al., 1976). A similar fluid termed transparent fluid or ac-cessory reproductive fluid is ejected at copulation in the cock and constitutes the bulk of seminal plasma of the ejaculate (Ni-shiyama, 1955). The effects of the transparent fluid on the cock spermatozoa have been reported by Nishiyama (1951, 1952, 1955)