SEXUAL ACTIVITY AND DEPENDENCE BETWEEN THE STAGE OF ITS ACTION AND THE QUALITY OF THE RAMS SPERM FROM THE CAUCASIAN AND ASCANIAN BREEDS

Jordan Marchev, Genoveva Staykova, Nevyana Stancheva

Abstract: A scientific-practical experiment with 31 Caucasian and 10 Ascanian rams used as brood animals in "Kabiuk" was carried out. The sexual activity was controlled - the time from the ram release in the mating pen to covering of the sheep (min), the time from the covering to the ejaculation (sec) and number of covers to performing of an effective ejaculation. An assessment of the sperm was done regarding the ejaculated volume (ml), pH, density (bill/ml) and motility of the spermatozoa (%). The phenotypic correlations between the sexual behavior and the sperm quality were calculated. The total technological time for an effective cover was defined on the base of the controlled traits and showed a tendency of higher libido in Caucasian rams (5 min 54 s), in comparison with the Ascanian ones (7 min 2 s). Low to average values of
phenotypic correlations between the stage of sexual activity and density of sperm in rams from the two examined breeds were established (rp = -0.357 and rp = -0.272) for Ascanian and (rp = -0.262 and rp = -0.219) for Caucasian breed. Analogical tendency (rp = -0.346) for Ascanian and (rp = -0.282) for Caucasian breed between time to first contact and motility of spermatozoa is observed.

Keywords: Ascanian breed; Caucasian breed; phenotypic correlations; sexual behavior; sperm quality

Date published: 2023-03-02