The permanent presence of sexually active male goats allows goats to ovulate throughout the year
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59741/agraria.v19i2.17Keywords:
caprine, seasonal anovulation, sexual behavior, photoperiodAbstract
The females and male goats display seasonal sexual activity. In male goats, a photoperiodic treatment allows to stimulate their sexual activity during the rest period. These sexually active (SA) males are very effective in stimulating female sexual activity during seasonal anestrus. The objective of this study was to determine whether the permanent presence of SA males allows females to ovulate throughout the year. Three groups of males (n = 4 each) were exposed to 2 months of artificial long days (16 h of light per day) combining artificial and natural light to stimulate their sexual activity from January to June. Another group of males (n = 4) was subjected to the natural variations of photoperiod and showed intense sexual behavior from July to December. All males were vasectomized to prevent pregnancies. In January, a group of females was joined with the males that remained under the natural photoperiod. The other group of females was joined with the SA males from January to June, and from July to December with the males that remained under the natural photoperiod. The female goats joined with the males subjected to the natural photoperiod showed a very marked
ovulatory seasonality, and more than 80% ovulated only from August to February. In contrast, the ovulatory seasonality of goats joined with sexually active males was modified, and more than 86% ovulated throughout the year. These results show that the sexual activity of the male goats is very important to avoid the seasonality of ovulations. In addition, indicate that the photoperiod and sociosexual relationships is a sustainable way to control of goats’ reproduction.
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