Andrological characteristics of Anglo Nubian goats submitted to semiarid

Abstract

In the Brazilian Northeast region, the very characteristic climatological effect of drought affects the temperature and food availability, influencing the sexual activity of male goat. Despite being considerate as animals adapted to semiarid climate, the goats also suffer from thermal stress. The seminal characteristics and the testicular biometry (TB) show great variation between breeds and even between individuals of the same breed affecting the performance of these animals. Despite the significant number of goats created on Brazilian Northeast, there is still a shortage of data about the reproductive potential of these animals. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the andrological parameters of Anglo Nubian goats, submitted to the semiarid conditions. The study was performed between January to April 2016, on properties located on the Crateús city, state of Ceará, in Northeastern semiarid zone. Were used six goat males of the Anglo Nubian breed, with 12 to 36 months aged, fed on nature pasture, and receiving water and mineral salt ad libitum. The following parameters were evaluated weekly: TB, libido, volume and seminal characteristics. The variables were submitted to analysis of variance by Mann Whitney Wilcoxon test using the Assistat 7.7 software. The data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation. The average values for TB, libido and ejaculate volume was 24.9 ± 2.2 cm, 17.9 ± 7.6 s and 1.5 ± 0.6 mL, respectively. The spermatic color was yellow in 96.9% and the its aspect was milky in 71.9% of collections. The average numbers obtained for mass motility, percentage of motile sperm, vigor and sperm concentration was 3.8 ± 0.8, 72.8 ± 23.2%, 3.4 ± 1.0 and 2.2 ± 1.0 billion/mL, respectively. These results were as expected for caprine specie. No significant difference was observed between the analyzed parameters in the different ejaculate aspects. In conclusion, the andrological parameters presented acceptable values for the use of these animals as breeders. The semiarid climate did not decrease the reproductive efficiency of the animals used, demonstrating their adaptability to the environment.