Baseline fresh semen characteristics of Murrah buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) bulls and their implications for semen processing and fertility prediction

Evaluation of fresh semen quality is a fundamental prerequisite for successful artificial insemination and cryopreservation programmes in livestock. Fresh seminal attributes reflect the functional status of the testes, epididymis, and accessory glands and directly influence sperm survival during processing and subsequent fertility. In Murrah buffalo bulls, systematic characterization of fresh semen parameters under organized semen station conditions remains limited despite their widespread use in dairy breeding programmes. The present study established baseline fresh semen characteristics of Murrah buffalo bulls by evaluating ejaculate volume, seminal pH, sperm concentration, mass motility, sperm viability, and morphological abnormalities. The overall mean ejaculate volume, pH, concentration, mass motility, live sperm percentage, and abnormal sperm percentage were 3.25 ± 0.18 ml, 6.75 ± 0.02, 1023.47 ± 28.50 million/ml, 3.36 ± 0.08 (0–5 scale), 88.44 ± 0.41%, and 5.69 ± 0.27%, respectively. These values indicate excellent seminal quality with high membrane integrity and minimal structural defects. Functional parameters were interrelated, with higher motility and viability associated with lower morphological abnormalities. The findings provide reference standards for semen evaluation, bull selection, and cryopreservation planning in Murrah buffalo breeding programmes.