Abstract
This study focuses on the determination of seasonal effect on two main andrological sexual activity parameters within young and adults rams of Rembi breed from Algeria for a period of one year. The experiment involved a weekly evaluation of males’ sexual behaviour and a monthly measurement of serum testosterone concentration in order to know the main testicular endocrine activity. The purpose of this experiment was toassess better the characteristics of the reproductive activity between two categories of rams age-wise and to define the variations and interactions between the two parameters during each season. Data shows no statistically significant effect of age on the testosterone concentration but showed a highly significant difference between age groups in terms of sexual behaviour. Seasonal variations of the studied parameters were statistically significant in both ram ages with higher values during spring and autumn and lower values ​​during summer and winter. Key words: Rembi, ram, testosterone, sexual activity, season, age.
Highlights
In Algeria, sheep represent the main animal resource; about 23 million heads cover 40 million hectares of grazing arid regions, where 12 million hectares are steppe
This study focuses on the determination of seasonal effect on two main andrological sexual activity parameters within young and adults rams of Rembi breed from Algeria for a period of one year
The statistical analysis did not show significant effect of ram’s age on testosterone concentration (P>0.05); a very high significant difference was found between the two age groups with regard to sexual behaviour (P
Summary
In Algeria, sheep represent the main animal resource; about 23 million heads cover 40 million hectares of grazing arid regions, where 12 million hectares are steppe. The economic importance of sheep farming constitutes an important source of animal protein (meat and milk) and has a significant contribution in livestock products (skins and wool) For this purpose, it is essential to find ways to improve sheep productivity in Algeria. The Rembi race represents 12% of the national sheep flock and constitutes one of the most interesting Algerian races based on its physical, productive and reproductive skills by two lambings per year with a rate of twinning quite acceptable (Nedjraoui, 2006). It is the biggest sheep in Algeria; the ram weighs 90 kg, while the weight of the sheep is 60 kg. The proportional body shape of this race ensures excellent criterion for the success of sexual activity for both male and female
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