Comparison of Macroscopic and Microscopic Quality Garut Sheep at Different Collection Times

Abstract

Garut sheep are a superior breed of sheep with prolific traits and environmental endurance, which are important to preserve and offer significant potential for development. Efforts with to improve the genetic quality of Garut sheep, through natural mating methods using superior bulls (contest champions), have become an increasingly popular choice among breeders. This study aims to determine the best collect time to obtain optimal macroscopic and microscopic quality of Garut sheep semen. The study used an experimental method with a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) consisting of three treatments (collect times: morning, afternoon, evening) and six replications (6 sheep). The observed parameters were macroscopic (volume, pH, consistency, color, odor) and microscopic (motility, abnormality, and mortality). The data obtained were analyzed using ANOVA and Duncan's multiple range test at the 5% level.  The study concluded that the timing of semen collection affects the volume, consistency, color, motility, abnormalities, and mortality of spermatozoa, but does not affect the pH or odor of the semen. Semen collected in the morning yielded the best quality, with a volume of 0.9 ml, motility of 89.2%, abnormalities of 11%, and mortality of 10.4%, compared to samples collected in the afternoon and evening.