THE PRESENCE OF FEMALE GOATS IN ESTRUS IMPROVE SEXUAL ACTIVITY IN MALES ON SEASONAL SEXUAL REST

Abstract

Sexual rest in Capra hircus is characterized by low concentrations of luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone, lower testicular volume, reduced sexual behavior, lower quantity and low quality of semen. All these characteristics increase during the sexual season. The objective was to determine the sexual activity and the quantitative and qualitative production of semen of males in contact with artificially estrus-induced goats during sexual rest. The hypothesis states that the socio-sexual signals emitted by females can stimulate the sexual activity of males during seasonal sexual rest. Ten Creole goats were divided into two completely random groups: five were isolated and five were in contact with goats in estrus. At the beginning of the study two estrus-induced goats were introduced into the male group and replaced by two estrus-induced female goats the following week. Volume, sperm concentration, total number of spermatozoa (sperm cells), motility, number of live cells, ejaculation latency, percentage of males that ejaculated and the smell of the male (at the rear base of the horns) were measured each week. The odor was more intense (p?0.05) in males with females in estrus from January to March; ejaculation latency was always lower (p?0.05); ejaculation readiness was higher (p?0.05), always except in June; ejaculated volume was higher from January to March (p?0.05); sperm concentration and total number of sperm per ejaculated volume were not different between groups (p>0.05). The presence of females in estrus during natural sexual rest does not improve the quantitative and qualitative production of semen in goat males from the Mexican subtropics. However, it improves sexual activity because it decreases the latency to ejaculation, increases the percentage of males that ejaculate, and increases the ejaculated volume