ISSN 2756-388X
International Journal of Plant and Animal Sciences ISSN: 2167-0437 Vol. 2 (2), pp. 098-104, November, 2014. © International Scholars Journals
Full length Research Paper
Breeding soundness examination: Understanding the causes of examination failure in young and mature Rams
Silvio Renato Oliveira Menegassi1, Júlio Otávio Jardim Barcellos2, João Batista Souza Borges3, Maria Eugênia Andrighetto Canozzi1, Vanessa Peripolli4, Celso Koetz Júnior5, Flávio Guiselli Lopes6 and Heitor José Cervo1
1 Veterinary Medicine, D.Sc. Candidate in Animal Science, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zootecnia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.
2 Veterinary Medicine, D.Sc.. Departamento de Zootecnia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.
3 Veterinary Medicine, D.Sc. . Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.
4Animal Science, D.Sc. Candidate in Animal Science. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zootecnia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.
5 Veterinary Medicine, D.Sc. Candidate in Animal Science. Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Norte do Paraná (UNOPAR), Arapongas, Paraná, Brasil.
6 Veterinary Medicine, D.Sc. Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Norte do Paraná (UNOPAR), Arapongas, Paraná, Brazil.
E-mail: [email protected].
Accepted 07, April 2014
Abstract
The objective of this study was to determine the causes of breeding soundness failure in rams using a breeding soundness examination and a scrotal circumference (SC) measurement. The experiment was performed with the breeding soundness examination records and SC measurements of 1.002 rams classified as young (18 months) and mature (more than 18 months). The breeding soundness examination parameters were analyzed using Chi-square tests, Pearson’s correlation coefficients and principal component analysis. Scrotal circumference was submitted to analysis of variance, and the means were compared using a Tukey test at a 5% probability level. Some rams were eliminated from the breeding soundness examination, independent of age and breed, and an interaction between age and breed was detected. There were significant correlations of body condition score with teeth and leg problems and of mass movement, motility, and vigor with epididymis problems. Among the main causes of failure, 28.6% were related to problems with the penis, epididymis, testicles, mass movement, motility and vigor. The highest SC was found in Poll Dorset rams. The reproductive examination indicated that the rates of ram failure were variable and dependent on the age and breed of the animals examined.
Key words: Breeds, fertility, ram fitness, reproductive evaluation, semen.