An experiment was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of several diluents for storing native chicken sperm at either 4-5 °C (Sexton? Van Wembeke? and Lake and Ravie diluents) or room temperature (19-24°C) (Chaudhuri and Lake? and Sexton diluents). Seminal charactristics (% live sperm, sperm motility and pH) were determined immediately upon dilution (Time 0) and at 6 and 24 h after storage. An aliquot (0.2 ml) of diluted semen (1:2 ratio) stored at 0, 6 and 24 h was inseminated in the afternoon. Each hen was inseminated once a week for 5 weeks while eggs being collected for determination of fertilizability and hatchability. Diluent type, storage time, and storage temperature significantly affected sperm motility, % live sperm, pH, % fertile eggs and % hatchability of incubated eggs. Sperm motility, % live sperm, % fertile eggs and % hatchability were significantly higher for the semen stored at 4-5 °C as compared with storage at room temperature. Storage time adversely affected the parameters under investigation. All diluents were suitable for immediate insemination after dilution (91 to 99% fertlity), and the lowest fertility (1.2%) was found in hens inseminated with Chaudhuri and Lake,s diluent stored for 24 h at room temperature. Fertility of diluted semen samples stored at 4-5 °C was higher than that of samples stored at room temperature. Compared with other diluents, Sexton resulted in higher fertility levels for the sperms that were stored at 4-5 °C for either 6 h (77%) or 24 h (41%). Correlation coefficients of sperm motility (or % live sperm) with % fertile eggs and % hatchability of incubated eggs were high (r=0.80 to 0.90) and significant (P<0.0001). The correlation coefficients of pH of diluted semen with sperm motility (r=0.65), % live sperm (0.71) and of fertility (r=0.67) were also significant (P<0.0001).
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