Year: 2018 | Month: December | Volume 8 | Issue 6
Testicular Biometry, Sexual Behavior and Semen Quality during the Period of Growth and Adolescence in Surti Goats
Abstract:
The literature on testicular/scrotal growth in relation to age in pre- and post-pubertal Surti kids is meager. The study was conducted on 11 Surti male kids of identical age and birth weight (1.53±0.05 kg) selected at the age of 14 weeks and then up to 47 weeks of age. The live weight and scrotal/ testicular biometry, i.e., length, width, circumference (cm) and volume (cm3) were recorded using standard procedures at 3 weeks intervals. Sexual behaviour of bucks was observed and semen was collected in AV at weekly/fortnightly intervals from 7 months till 11 months of age. The mean live weights at the age of 14 and 35 weeks were 9.86±0.61 kg and 17.84±1.09 kg (p<0.01), respectively and thereafter it did not vary statistically till 47 weeks of age. The mean values of scrotal length, width, circumference (cm) and scrotal volume (cm3) at 14 weeks of age were 2.89±0.22, 2.05±0.17, 8.82±0.72 and 21.36±0.93, respectively, which increased gradually (p<0.01) till 35 weeks of age reaching 10.65±0.30, 7.55±0.24, 19.45±0.65 and 200.45±16.67, respectively, and then remained almost stable till 47 weeks of age. The mean length and width of right testis at 14 weeks of age were 2.98±0.17 and 1.39±0.15 cm, and those of left testis 3.28±0.17 and 1.23±0.10 cm, respectively. These values increased significantly (p<0.01) till 32 weeks of age for width and till 38-41 weeks of age for length of both testes. The average age and weight at puberty were 27.00±0.75 weeks and 15.16±0.56 kg, respectively, and those at sexual maturity 38.18±0.90 weeks and 19.61±0.93 kg, respectively. Most of the growing bucks at the age of 6-7 months expressed strong libido. The semen quality observed at 7 month of age improved gradually with advancing age till 9-10 months. Thereafter it became almost stable suggesting that the Surti bucks attain puberty and sexual maturity around this age. The correlation coefficients among age, body weight and scrotal/testicular biometry were observed to be highly significant (p<0.01) and positive in the range of 0.854 to 0.954. It was inferred that the highest reproductive potential in Surti bucks is attained at around 9-10 months of age. Hence, these criteria should be considered while selecting Surti bucks for breeding purpose.
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