Artificial Insemination in Rabbits
- Unité Mixte de Recherche UMR 1198, Biologie du Développement et Reproduction, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, F-78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France
- ↵1Corresponding author (nat.daniel2{at}jouy.inra.fr).
INTRODUCTION
Artificial insemination (AI) is used in rabbit husbandry to improve breeding management. Conception rates after AI with fresh semen are equivalent to or even better than those obtained by natural mating. Also, AI has the advantage of avoiding contact between animals. Furthermore, AI with frozen sperm is particularly useful for assisted reproduction and conservation of rabbit genetic resources, and in some cases, frozen semen produce results similar to those obtained in AI using fresh sperm. This protocol describes the most commonly used protocol for AI using fresh sperm.
