Abstract
In some domestic ruminants, contact with females is necessary for normal development of sexual behavior. The aims of this experiment were to determine if rearing bucks isolated from does affects negatively their sexual behavior when adults, and if this negative effect is overcome after four short contacts with females. Sixteen Saanen male kids were maintained during one year in two groups: kids reared in permanent direct contact with four adult goats (FEM; n = 7), and kids that remained isolated from females (ISO; n = 9). When bucks were 12 mo-old, females were removed and both groups were joined in the FEM pen. Nine months later all bucks were individually exposed four times to estrual females for 20 min every 10 days, recording courtship and mounting behaviors. Bucks that were reared with females displayed more courtship behaviors, ejaculations and total mounts (mount attempts, mounts with and without ejaculation; P < 0.0001 for all) than ISO bucks. The combined effect of number of bucks that ejaculated and the time at which they first ejaculated in the first and second tests favored FEM bucks (P < 0.03). It was concluded that the lack of contact with females during the rearing period affects negatively adult bucks’ sexual performance, an effect that could not be overcome after repeated exposures to estural does.
Highlights
In sheep, heterosexual contact is necessary for normal male sexual development and behavior (Zenchak et al, 1980; Casteilla et al, 1987)
It is interesting that bucks that were reared isolated from females recognize other males as sexual partners and are more predisposed to display homosexual behaviors than bucks that were reared with females (Ungerfeld et al, 2013)
Adult bucks that were reared isolated from females during their pre-pubertal period displayed poorer sexual behavior toward estural does than bucks reared in close contact with them
Summary
Heterosexual contact is necessary for normal male sexual development and behavior (Zenchak et al, 1980; Casteilla et al, 1987). In this sense, male lambs reared in permanent contact with females have a greater testicular volume and display a more intense sexual behavior than lambs reared isolated from them (Illius et al, 1976; Katz et al, 1988). The importance of social environment during development differs according to the species In this sense, contact with females during their prepubertal period has no effect on bulls (Lane et al, 1983; Price and Wallach, 1990; Borg et al, 1993) and boars’ sexual performance and libido (Hemsworth et al, 1977). The lack of contact with females during their pre-pubertal period affects the sexual display of bucks when adults
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