Abstract
In this study, the effects of melatonin implant treatment before the breeding season on melatonin (M) and testosterone (T) hormone levels, and the mating behavior and performance, were determined in Turkish Saanen goat bucks. Four head of bucks and 50 head of goats were used. The bucks were randomly divided into two groups and they were treated with 3 implants with 18 mg melatonin. The half of female goats were also implanted with melatonin (18 mg/goat). A total of 13 blood samples were collected before the melatonin implant (Day 0) and on the 21st, 42nd, 63rd, 94th, 129th, 157th, 185th, 213rd, 251st, 275th, 307th, and 335th days after the implant. Hormone analyses were performed using ELISA method and in animal species specific hormone kits. Mating was carried out for 10 minutes, and the mating behaviors of the bucks and does were recorded. While the treatment (MI) group had an overall means of melatonin hormone level of 526.3 ng/L, the control (C) group had a melatonin hormone level of 199.0 ng/L in overall (P=0.0224). The testosterone hormone level in the MI group was 12.7 nmol/L on average, and it was 6.13 nmol/L in the C group (P=0.2137). The MI group had significantly higher melatonin hormone levels in the summer, autumn, and spring than the C group, and significantly higher testosterone hormone levels in all seasons (P≤0.05). While M hormone had the highest level of MI and C groups in March, T hormone was highest of MI group in April and C group in March. Mating behaviors and the duration of mating were similar in the groups of bucks (P>0.05). A high statistically significant positive correlation coefficient (r=0.678) was determined between melatonin hormone and testosterone hormone (P<0.0001). In addition, there was a significant and positive correlation coefficient between hormone levels and the frequency of tongue-lapping (P=0.0134), sexual vocalization behavior (P=0.0199) in the MI group. In conclusion, the treatment of melatonin implants before the breeding season significantly increased the levels of M and T hormones and positive effects on frequency of mating behavior in Turkish Saanen goat bucks.
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