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Influence of sexually inactive bucks subjected to long photoperiod or testosterone on the induction of estrus in anovulatory goats

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Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of treating sexually inactive bucks with artificial long photoperiod or testosterone on the induction of estrus in anovulatory grazing goats. A total of 91 multiparous mixed-breed anestrous goats were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups: (1) joining with bucks subjected to 2.5 month of artificial long days (16 h of light/day; n = 31), (2) joining with testosterone-treated bucks (n = 30), and (3) joining with untreated bucks (control; n = 30). There were no differences between the light-treated (100%) and testosterone-treated (93%) bucks in their ability to induce estrus in anovulatory does. On the other hand, none of the goats in contact with control bucks exhibited estrus. The interval from start of mating to estrus was shorter in goats with the light-treated bucks (37.9 ± 4.8 h) compared with does in contact with testosterone-treated bucks (58.3 ± 8.7 h). The overall pregnancy rate in goats joined with light-treated, testosterone-treated and control bucks was 84%, 77% and 0%, respectively, with no difference (P > 0.05) between the first two groups. Anogenital sniffing, approaches, mounting attempts, and mounts were highest (P < 0.01) in light-treated bucks and lowest in control bucks. It was concluded that testosterone-treated bucks and long-day-treated bucks were equally effective in synchronizing estrus in anovulatory goats and resulted in similar levels of fertility. Given that light-treated bucks are unviable in communal production systems of goats raised by resource-poor farmers, the sexual arousal of bucks with testosterone is a practical and reliable method to induce ovulation in anovulatory goats in pastoral goat systems in hot environments.

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Abbreviations

BC:

Body condition

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Bachillerato Tecnológico Agropecuario, No. 1, Torreón, Mexico

    Juan Ramón Luna-Orozco

  2. Departamento de Ciencias Medico Veterinarias, Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro, Periférico Raúl López Sánchez y Carretera a Santa Fe, 27054, Torreón, Mexico

    Juan Manuel Guillen-Muñoz, Ma. de los Angeles De Santiago-Miramontes, Rafael Rodríguez-Martínez & Francisco Gerardo Véliz

  3. Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Unidad Regional Universitaria de Zonas Áridas, Bermejillo, Durango, Mexico

    Cesar Alberto Meza-Herrera

  4. Departamento de Nutrición Animal, Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro, Saltillo, Mexico

    José Eduardo García & Miguel Mellado

Authors
  1. Juan Ramón Luna-Orozco
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  2. Juan Manuel Guillen-Muñoz
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  3. Ma. de los Angeles De Santiago-Miramontes
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  4. José Eduardo García
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  5. Rafael Rodríguez-Martínez
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  6. Cesar Alberto Meza-Herrera
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  7. Miguel Mellado
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  8. Francisco Gerardo Véliz
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Correspondence to Francisco Gerardo Véliz.

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Luna-Orozco, J.R., Guillen-Muñoz, J.M., De Santiago-Miramontes, M.A. et al. Influence of sexually inactive bucks subjected to long photoperiod or testosterone on the induction of estrus in anovulatory goats. Trop Anim Health Prod 44, 71–75 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-011-9889-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-011-9889-y

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