Comparison of the Reproductive Methods Used for Alpine Goats with Previously Synchronized Estrus

Abstract

Abstract The objective of this study was to compare the two methods of reproduction used for the Alpine goats at a sheepfold located in the province of Pichincha. A hormonal protocol was followed for heat synchronization based on intravaginal sponges impregnated with fluorogestone acetate (FGA) combined with prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) and equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG). In total, 24 two-to-four-year-old does were randomly divided into two groups: one for natural breeding (NB) with a five-year-old male goat of proven fertility and another for intracervical artificial insemination (IC-AI) with refrigerated semen collected from the same goat. The parameters evaluated were: the conception rate (CT), the fertility rate (FR), and the prolificacy index (PI). The CT and FR were compared using Pearson's Chi-square test, while PI was analyzed with the student's t-test. None of the reproductive parameters evaluated showed a significant difference between the two methods of reproduction. Therefore, MN or IC-AI in goats with previously synchronized heat could be an alternative to improve reproductive efficiency.

Keywords

• estrus synchronization, artificial insemination, natural mating, alpine, goats.