Methods of

Mating
Dr. H. N. N. Murthy
Head of the Department
Department of Poultry Science

Play

major role in obtaining fertility of eggs

from breeder birds.

Five methods of mating,
1. Pen mating
2. Flock mating
3. Stud mating
4. Shift mating
5. Artificial Insemination (AI)

Pen Mating
Group

of females allowed to
mate with single male in separate
pens.
Mating ratio
Egg type - 10 to 12
Meat type 6 to 8
Followed for pedigree hatching.
Parentage- through Trap nesting
of hens.

Fertility

not as good as of flock

mating
1. Preferential mating (male
heading the
pen may not like to mate with a
particular female and viceversa)
2. No competition between males.
Requires more labour.

Flock mating
Flock

or Mass mating - Required no

of males allowed to mate with
entire flock of hens.
Better fertility obtained than from
pen mating.
Reduces the chances of likeness or
social order in mating
Parentage of off spring cannot be
known

Number

of hens per male vary

with size and age of birds
Young males more active than older
one
Mating ratio
Light breeds 1:10 to 12
Heavy breeds 1: 8 to 10
Fertility
improved by using
cockerels with older hens and older
males with pullets.

Stud mating
Male

confined in small individual

pens (studs) within the laying pen.
Female held in stud till mated
then removed and another female
added.
Possible to mate more females to
male compared to other two.
Used when a very valuable male
used as breeder.

For

optimum fertility - Two mating

per wk or at least once in 5 days
Requires more labour, hence
more expensive.
Excellent for increasing the utility
of outstanding males to increase
the off spring mating.

Shift Mating
Males

are shifted from one pen to

another after certain period of
time
Helps in thorough testing of
females as they are exposed to
several males for mating.
Accuracy of parentage can be
maintained

Major

draw back- overlapping of

the paternity when males changed
To overcome this
1.Discard the eggs for one week
after shifting of old male and
housing of new male
2. By using AI(sperm in oviduct
cannot compete with those in
fresher semen, therefore eggs laid
on second day after AI attributable
to new sire.

Artificial Insemination (AI)

Excellent

method to increase the

efficiency of breeding programme.
Semen obtained massaging the
males back
Insemination dose - 0.03-0.05 ml
(20-25 million spermatozoa)
Insemination time afternoon hours
Frequency twice a wk or atleast
once in 5 days

Transfer of semen into

oviduct
Tuberculin

syringe can be used

Abdomen of the female pressed
to evert cloaca, to expose
vaginal opening (seen at the left
side of vent)
Inseminating equipment
introduced abt 2.5 cm to deposit

Characteristics
Characters
of semen
Volume, ml

of semen

Chicken
0.75 to 1.0

Concentration, 1.75 to 3
billion
Appearence
Pearly white

Advantages
Rapid

movement of genetic profile of

poultry
Increases the utility of outstanding males
Eliminates completely social order in mating
Increases accuracy in parentage
determination,
Hybridization between different species
possible
In caged layers - fertile eggs obtained only
by AI

Disadvantages
Requires

trained personnel
Requires more labour
Handling causes stress to birds
Chances of cross contamination of
birds through the inseminating
equipment
Pen mating or AI- commonly
practiced method in most of
Poultry breeding farms