Robert

 We)emann  presenta/on   Oct.  9,  2014  

Introduction
•  Testicular temperature must be 2 to 6 °C cooler than body temperature.

Impact of Heat Stress on •  Exposure to elevated ambient temperature reduces semen quality (Casady et al.,
1953; Skinner and Louw, 1966).

Male Fertility •  Local heating of the scrotum reduces the number of ejaculated sperm (Austin
et al., 1961;Gerona and Sikes, 1970).

Bob Wettemann and Brit Boehmer •  Heat stress has a minimal effect on testicular hormone production (Minton et
Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station al., 1981; Barth and Bowman, 1994).

•  Breeding seasons often occur during periods when ambient temperature is

elevated.
•  One bull influences many matings.

Ram  

Temperature of Testes

•  Testes are maintained 2 to 6 °C less than body temperature

Scrotal skin – much vascularization and sweat glands
Tunica dartos muscle – controls surface area
Cremaster muscle – positions scrotum from the body
Spermatic vasculature and counter-current heat exchange

Adapted from Waites and Moule. J. Reprod. Fert. 1961

Effect of whole body heat stress of bulls

(Meyerhoeffer et al., 1985)
•  Angus bulls (n=16) in environmental chambers at 73 ° for 8
wk; treated for 8 wk; recovery at 73 °F for 8 wk
–  Heat-stressed – 95 °F for 8 h, 88 °F for 16 h
–  Control – 73 °F

–  Semen collected twice weekly with an AV for 8 wk of treatment and 8

wk after treatment
–  Quantity and quality of semen was evaluated

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Robert  We)emann  presenta/on   Oct.  9,  2014  

10

Influence of heat-stress on body functions of bulls. 7

Semen volume, mL
6
Treatment
5
Characteristic Control Heat-stressed 4

Respiratory rate, b/min 30 ± 2a 54 ± 2b 3

2
Rectal temperature, °C 38.2 ± 0.1c 38.7± 0.2d
1

Water consumption, L/d 17±1c 27±1d 0

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
a,b P< 0.001; c,d P< 0.01. Pre- During treatment Post-treatment
Weeks
Figure 1. Volume of semen from bulls before, during, and after exposure to control
or elevated ambient temperaturesa.
a Vertical bars represent standard error of the means.

Influence of whole body heat stress on semen

characteristics
•  Volume of semen was not influenced
•  Percentage motile sperm was decreased
•  Total sperm per ejaculum was not effected
•  Reduction in the percentage of normal sperm

•  Spermatogenesis in bulls requires about 60 days. Ejaculation of

sperm with normal motility did not occur until 8 weeks after the end
of heat stress.

•  Reduction of pregnancy rates with summer and early fall breeding

may be caused by decreased semen quality associate with heat
stress.

Short term heat stress can alter spermatogenesis

similar to long term heat stress Influence of short term heat stress (93°F) on characteristic of
semen of bullsa.
•  Exposure of bulls to 40 °C and 35-40% relative humidity (RH)
for 12 or 24 h, or for 6 d decreased the percentage of motile Time of evaluation
sperm (Skinner and Louw, 1966). (104 °F)
4 d before trt 2d after trt
–  8 week lag from the end of heat stress until normal semen
quality. Heat Heat
Criteria Control stressed Control stressed
Volume, mL 5.9 5.0 6.6 7.0

Motile sperm, % 64 69 84b 65c

Live sperm, % 67 71 74b 58c

a Bulls were electroejaculated (Minton et al., 1981).
b,c Differ P < 0.05.

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Robert  We)emann  presenta/on   Oct.  9,  2014  

Management to Reduce Heat Stress

Insulation of the scrotum of bulls •  Air temperature less than 33 °C (91 °F)
•  Provide bulls with shade – tendency to have greater motility
and more live sperm (Meyerhoeffer et al.)
•  Increased testes temperature by 1-1.5 °C for 4 days decreased
the percentage of live sperm (Barth and Bowman, 1994).
•  6 week lag from the end of treatment until normal sperm

Time (yr. 2)
25-May

26-Aug
25-Jun

26-Jul

100
Management to Reduce Heat Stress

90 •  Air temperature less than 38°C for several weeks

•  Provide bulls with shade – tendency to have greater motility
Sperm motility, %

80
and more live sperm (Meyerhoeffer et al.)
70

•  Sprinkling cattle and ground (Davis et al., 2003).

60
•  Sprinkling dairy cattle in Florida with irrigation (Hansen)
50 •  Ponds

40
15-May

15-Jun

16-Jul

16-Aug

16-Sep

Time (yr. 1)
Figure 3a, 4a. Weekly changes in semen motility during two years.
Year 1 SEM = 5.7, Year 2 SEM = 2.9
Adapted from Coleman et al., 1984, J. Range Mgt.

Short term increases in body temperature of bulls

for as short as 1 day can influence semen quality
and fertility.

•  Exposure to elevated ambient temperatures

•  Absence of shade
•  Infection or disease

•  Concern for natural mating and semen

collection for AI

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Robert  We)emann  presenta/on   Oct.  9,  2014  

•  Mechanisms of body heat loss in cattle:

When does elevated ambient temperature
become heat stress? Radiation – when body temperature is
greater than air temperature

Evaporative cooling: sweating and

respiratory rate

Ambient temperature and ruminal  Ruminal  temperature  (RuT)  in  beef  cows  (n  =  11)  rela/ve  to  hourly  maximum  ambient  
temperature  (Tmax).    a,b  Means  without  a  common  le)er  differ  (P  <  0.001).    
temperature
•  Ruminal temperature (RuT) is a noninvasive
method to monitor body temperature in real
time.
•  Cows were maintained in a drylot with shade
and ad libitum water and feed during the
summer.

92  °F    

Temperature humidity index Ruminal  temperature  (RuT)  in  beef  cows  (n  =  11)  rela/ve  to  hourly  mean  temperature  
humidity  index  (THI).    a,b  Means  without  a  common  le)er  differ  (P  <  0.001).    

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Robert  We)emann  presenta/on   Oct.  9,  2014  

Hypothesis - Males are more susceptible to heat

stress than females.
Heat stress categories for the Mesonet Cattle Comfort Advisora.
•  Boars 93 °F 70% decrease in sperm motility
Categories: •  Gilts 104 °F Estrus cycle – no effect
Cattle Comfort Index, °F Impacts 0-8 d pregnancy – 43% decrease in pregnancy rate
8-16 d pregnancy – 22% decrease in pregnancy rate
Heat Danger >105 Animal deaths may exceed 5% Mid pregnancy – no effect
Late pregnancy – 42% decrease in live pigs
Decreased production, 20% or more
Heat Caution >85 to 105
Reduced conception, as low as 0%
•  Bulls 95 °F 35% decrease in sperm motility
Comfortable 15 to 85
In Stillwater OK in 2012 and 2013 there were many days >85 between June 15 •  Cows 99 °C Estrus cycle – no effect
and August 31. •  Decreased conception during the first 3 days after breeding
a Mesonet.org •  @ 38% RH 8-16 d pregnancy – 50% decrease in
conceptus weight
@ 27% RH 8-16 d pregnancy – no effect
Late pregnancy – shorter gestation

Mid-late summer breeding seasons

•  Breeding  soundness  exams  are  essen/al  to  
•  More late spring calving when grass quantity eliminate  bulls  with  poten/al  fer/lity  
and quality are greater problems.  
•  Breeding in July and August •  However,  a  day  or  two  of  elevated  body  
temperature  can  decrease  fer/lity.  
•  Greater opportunity for heat stress

Bulls  are  oVen  forgo)en   Summary

•  Bulls  are  more  suscep/ble  to  heat  stress  than   •  Testicular temperatures must be cooler than body temperature
•  Exposure to elevated ambient temperature can reduce semen
cows.  
quality. Monitor RR and RT
•  One  bull  influences  many  poten/al   •  Spermatogenesis is a continuous process and semen quality is
pregnancies.   reduced for 8 weeks after the end of heat stress.
•  One day of heat stress can reduce semen quality and potential
•  Management  of  body  temperature  of  bulls   fertility.
before  and  during  collec/on  of  semen  for  AI  is   •  Cooling of bulls is necessary when ambient temperature is
a  major  concern.   greater than 91 °F.
•  One bull influences the pregnancy rate of many cows.

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