Seminal characteristics and artificial insemination of Chinese pheasants, Tragopan temminckii, Lophophorus impeyanus, and Lophophorus lhuysii

Long-term conservation plans for endangered species of birds include the study of basic reproductive functions and the development of artificial reproductive techniques. This 6 year study of Chinese pheasants resulted in the description of seminal characteristics and the production of chicks from artificial insemination in each of three species. Semen was collected three times a week from February through June from two Temminck's tragopans (Tragopan temminckii), four Himalayan monals (Lophophorus impeyanus), and one Chinese monal (Lophophorus Ihuysii). Ejaculates were analyzed for volume, concentration, and motility; some were extended and used for artificial insemination (AI). A semen quality index (SQI) was calculated from all measured semen parameters to generate a single number to facilitate the comparison of males, years, and species. For all three species, insemination of fresh semen began the day a hen laid an egg and continued two or three times a week until the end of the study. Over all years, tragopan 2 produced semen with a higher SQI than tragopan 1. Variation within individual Himalayan monals was also recorded with SQIs ranging from a low of 10.8 for male 4 to a high of 25.8 for male 1. When all males were compared by species, the Chinese monal, collected only in 1 year, exhibited a higher SQI than the tragopans or the Himalayan monals. During one 54 day period, a single tragopan hen was inseminated twice, 28 days apart to assess the longevity of inseminated sperm in the female reproductive tract. Fertile eggs were laid for 21 days following the first insemination and for 26 days following the second insemination. AI of tragopans and Himalayan monals resulted in 100% hatchability; for Chinese monals, the figure was 57%. It is believed that this study represents the first report of successful artificial insemination in Himalayan and Chinese monals. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.