Dr. Prasad, ShivSori, Hunderra2018-06-282023-11-082018-06-282023-11-082004-06http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/4700The semen of six indigenous breeds bulls (Barca, Boran, Horro and Sheko) which were kept at the National Artificial Insemination Center (NAIC), Kaliti, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia were evaluated for physico-morphological parameters (volume, color, mass and individual motility, concentration, total count, percentage live and morphologically normal, total morphologically normal and viable number), biochemical parameters (GOT, GPT, ACP, ALP, total protein) and hormonal assay (testosterone). Semen was collected for a thirteen week period from six indigenous bulls kept at the AI center. The collection was done once per week using an artificial vagina and semen samples were subjected to normal physico-morphological characterization and seminal plasma was separated and preserved at -20 0C until analysis. The overall mean (SE) value for the indigenous bulls in the semen characteristics studied were volume 4.84 (0.20) ml, mass motility 3.15 (0.11), individual motility 68.72 (1.37) percent, concentration 1.54 (0.07) billion/ml, total count 7.35 (0.47) billion/ejaculate, viable number 5.10 (0.33) billion/ejaculate, total morphologically normal number 7.12 (0.45) billion/ejaculate, live percentage 79.73 (0.65), percent morphologic normal 94.70 (0.38), percent normal acrosome 96.99 (0.60), GOT 1530.91 (60.15) U/L, GPT 131.99 (9.36) U/L, ALP 3333.98 (608.84) U/L, ACP 8003.68 (716.06) U/L, total protein 7.38 (0.26) gm/dL, testosterone 2.84 (0.3) ng/ml, head abnormality 1.87 (0.15) %, mid-piece (body) abnormality 1.92 (0.22) %, tail abnormality 1.50 (0.18) %, total abnormality 5.29 (0.38) %, major abnormality 2.25 (0.19) %, minor abnormality 3.04 (0.28) %, acrosome defect 3.0 (0.60) %, narrow at base 0.37 (0.09) %, abnormal contour 0.12 (0.04) %, undeveloped form 0.74 (0.15) %, detached abnormal 0.21 (0.09) %, pear shaped 0.05 (0.02) %, small abnormal 0.05 (0.03) %, abaxial attachment 0.57 (0.11) %, other head abnormality 0.07 (0.03) %, spermatozoa head length 9.18 (0.03) μm, head breadth 4.61 (0.01) μm, mid-piece length 13.61 (0.02) μm, tail length 47.56 (0.1) μm. The semen physico-morphologic and seminal plasma biochemical parameters observed in this study for the Ethiopian indigenous bulls are comparable to normal fertile bulls reported elsewhere based on the evaluation of fresh semen parameters. Key words: Ethiopia/NAIC/Indigenous breeds/physico-morphological parameters/biochemical parameters/semen/spermatozoaenEthiopiaNAICIndigenousbreedshysico-morphologicalparametersbiochemicalparameterssemenspermatozoaThesis