Effects of Methoxychlor and Malathion on Semen Characteristics of Rams1

Grade Hampshire rams were fed for 11 months ground, pelleted alfalfa hay to which had been added no insecticide, methoxychlor at 200 or 1,000 ppm or malathion at 270 or 1,350 ppm. Average levels of insecticide in the spiked feeds, by analysis, were for methoxychlor, 178 and 873 ppm and for malathion 192 and 941 ppm, respectively. Semen characteristics and spermatozoan morphology were assessed at 0, 3, 6 and 11 months of treatment. Except for an apparent increase in the percentage of dead, tailless spermatozoa in rams receiving the higher level of methoxychlor, the biological significance of which is unknown, no effects of pesticide ingestion were observed.