Conception rates in European fallow does (Dama dama dama) following intrauterine insemination with frozen‐thawed semen from Mesopotamian fallow (Dama dama mesopotamica) and crossbred (Dama dama dama x Dama dama mesopotamica) bucks

SUMMARY Ninety eight parous fallow does received laparoscopic intrauterine insemination of frozen‐thawed semen at one of 2 fixed intervals following oestrus synchronisation treatment. Semen was collected from a Mesopotamian (Dama dama mesopotamica) and a crossbred (F1) (Dama dama dama x Dama dama mesopotamica) fallow buck. Does were inseminated at either 56 or 66 hours after the removal of an intravaginal controlled internal drug releasing device. Eighty eight does received a single straw of frozen‐thawed semen containing a total of 50 times 106 spermatozoa, while the remaining 10 received split straws containing 25 times 106 spermatozoa. Overall, the use of F1 semen containing 50 times 106 spermatozoa resulted in a 68% (17/25) conception rate compared with the Mesopotamian semen, which resulted in a 41% (26/63) conception rate. Conceptions were also achieved using 25 times 106 spermatozoa of either Mesopotamian or F1 semen (3/8 versus 2/2, respectively). Overall, the conception rate was higher for F1 than Mesopotamian semen (P<0.025) and there was a significant interaction with time of insemination (P<0.05); for F1 semen there was no difference in conception rate at the 2 insemination times, but for Mesopotamian semen conception was significantly higher (P<0.005) following insemination at 66 hours than at 56 hours.