Absence of previous sexual experience did not modify the response of anoestrous goats to photo-stimulated bucks in Spring

Abstract

Sexually inexperienced rams display lower frequency of nudging, ano-genital sniffing, mounting attempts, and mounts with intromission than experienced ones. Experienced photo-stimulated males display high level of sexual behaviour. The aim of this study was to determine: i) whether sexually inexperienced photo-stimulated males display similar sexual behaviour as the experienced ones, and ii) whether these inexperienced bucks can stimulate sexual response in anoestrous goats, as the experienced ones. Sexually inexperienced and experienced photo-stimulated males (n = 5 each) were used. In April, two groups of anovulatory females (n = 50 each) were exposed to these males for 15 d. Male sexual behaviour was registered for three days, upon their introduction into female groups. On day 1, the inexperienced males displayed higher nudging than the experienced ones (p .05). The proportion of females ovulating did not differ between the two groups (≥82 %; p = 1.0). Pregnancy rate (≥68 %; p = .829) did not differ between the females exposed to inexperienced or experienced males. It is concluded that sexually inexperienced photo-stimulated males show similar sexual behaviour as the experienced ones, and they are able to induce sexual response in seasonally anoestrous goats through the male effect.

Keywords

• caprine
• naive males
• photoperiodic treatment
• non-breeding season