Veterinary Andrology and Reproductive Techniques

APPEARANCE OF SEMEN

• Semen should have a relatively uniform, opaque appearance indicative of high sperm concentration.
• Semen with a curdy appearance containing chunks of material indicates infection.
• Bulls can produce yellow semen, owing to the harmless presence of riboflavin.
• This should not be confused with urine, which has its own distinctive odour.

The appearance of semen is assessed by examining the semen in naked eye. The bull semen should be milky white to creamy with out any pus or chunky material. The cattle bull semen is slightly yellowish in colour when compared to buffalo bull semen due to the riboflavin secretion from ampulla and seminal vesicle.