Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences

Asian Australasian Association of Animal Production Societies (아세아태평양축산학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Mating and Incidental Activities of Ram (Ovis aries) When Exposed to Ewe(s) and Competitor Ram in Pen Mating Condition

  • Patel, M. (Division of Livestock Production and Management, Indian Veterinary Research Institute(IVRI)) ;
  • Das, N. (Division of Livestock Production and Management, Indian Veterinary Research Institute(IVRI)) ;
  • Pandey, H.N. (Division of Livestock Production and Management, Indian Veterinary Research Institute(IVRI)) ;
  • Yadav, M.C. (Division of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, IVRI) ;
  • Girish, P.S. (Division of Livestock Products Technology, IVRI)
  • Received : 2004.05.10
  • Accepted : 2004.11.13
  • Published : 2005.04.01
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

An attempt was made to analyze the factors affecting mating performance of rams in pen mating systems. Due to many types of social interactions, mating performance of rams may decrease or increase. Six intact Muzaffarnagari rams were used and divided into three dominant subordinate pairs by food and ewe competition test. For dominant rams subordinate ram became competitor and vice versa. In the first experiment, ram was exposed to ewe but the competitor ram was kept outside the pen with the facility of visibility only. In the second experiment each ram was exposed to ewe along with the competitor ram and in third experiment ram was exposed to ewes (two) along with competitor ram in observation pen. Recordings of different mating and agonistic behaviour were done in all the experiments. It was found that subordinate ram's mating behaviour was inhibited by mere presence of a dominant ram out side without physical contact. However, when ram exposed to oestrus ewe(s) along with competitor ram, both dominant and subordinate rams spent much of their time in guarding activities instead of mating. In addition dominant ram tried to curtail the subordinate ram mating by agonistic interaction like fight and butting. Different guarding activities were observed either as active or passive type depending on level of dominanace. It was concluded that in a limited space the interaction of two or more rams might affect the number of services adversely.

Keywords

References

  1. Banks, E. M. 1964. Some aspects of sexual behaviour in domestic sheep Ovis aries. Behaviour 23:249-279 https://doi.org/10.1163/156853964X00175
  2. Blockey, M. A. and B. De. 1981. Further studies on the serving capacity test for beef bulls. Appl. Anim. Ethol. 7:337-350.
  3. Blockey, M. A. and B. De. 1978. The influence of serving capacity of bulls on herd fertility. J. Anim. Sci. 46(3):589.
  4. Bourke, M. E. 1967. A study of mating behaviour of Merion rams. Aust. J. Expt. Agric. Anim. Hus. 7:203-205. https://doi.org/10.1071/EA9670203
  5. Erhard, H. W., E. O. Price and M. R. Dally. 1998. Competitive ability of rams selected for high and low levels of sexual performance. Anim. Sci. 66(2):403-408.
  6. Hafez, E. S. E. 1975. The Behaviour of Domestic Animals. 3rd edn. pp. 256-265.
  7. Holmes, R. J. 1980. Normal mating behaviour and its variations. In: Current Therapy in Theriogenology (Ed. D. A. Morrow, W. B. Philadelphia). Saunders, pp. 931-936.
  8. Hulet, C. V., S. K. Ercanbrack, D. A. Price, R. L. Blackwell and L. O. Wilson. 1962a. Mating behaviour of the ram in the one-sire pen. J. Anim. Sci. 21:857-864.
  9. Hulet, C. V., S. K. Ercanbrack, D. A. Price, R. L. Blackwell and L. O. Wilson. 1962b. Mating behaviour of the ram in the multisire pen. J. Anim. Sci. 21:865-869.
  10. Hulet, C. V., R. L. Blackwell and S. K. Ercanbrack. 1962c. Mating behaviour of the ewe. J. Anim. Sci. 21:870-874.
  11. Kilgour, R. J. and R. G. Whale. 1980. The relation between mating activity of rams in pens and subsequent flock mating performance. Aust. J. Exp. Agric. Anim. Husb. 20:5-8.
  12. Kilgour, R. J. and C. G. Winfield. 1974. Sheep mating behaviour. NZ. J. Agric. 128(4):17-23.
  13. Kiyanzad, M. R., J. M. Panandam, N. Emamajameh Kashan, Z. A. Jelan and I. Dahlan. 2003. Reproductive performance of three Iranian sheep breeds. Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 16:11-14.
  14. Lindsay, D. R. 1966. Modification of behavioural oestrus in the ewe by social and hormonal factors. Anim. Behav. 14:73-83. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0003-3472(66)80013-1
  15. Lindsay, D. R. and J. Ellsmore. 1968. The effect of breed, season and competition on mating behaviour of rams. Aust. J. Exp. Agric. Anim. Husb. 8:649-652.
  16. Lindsay, D. R., D. G. Dunsmore, J. D. Williams and G. J. Syme. 1976. Audience effects on the mating behaviour of rams. Anim. Behav. 24:818-821.
  17. Lindsay, D. R. and T. J. Robinson. 1961a. Studies on the efficiency of mating in sheep. 1. The effect of paddock size and number of rams. J. Agric. Sci. (Cambridge) 57:137-140.
  18. Lindsay, D. R. and T. J. Robinson. 1961b. Studies on the efficiency of mating in the sheep II. The effect of freedom of rams, paddock size and age of ewes. J. Agric. Sci. (Cambridge) 57:141-145.
  19. Mattner, P. E., A. W. H. Braden and J. M. George. 1971. Studies in flock mating of sheep. 4. The relation of libido tests to subsequent service activity of young rams. Aust. J. Exp. Agric. Anim. Husb. 11:473-477.
  20. Mattner, P. E., A. W. H. Braden and K. E. Tumbul. 1967. Studies in flock mating of sheep. 1. Mating behaviour. Aust. J. Exp. Agric. Anim. Husb. 7:103-109.
  21. Mattner, P. E., J. M. George and A. W. H. Braden. 1974. Herd mating activity in cattle. J. Reprod. Fertil. 36:454-455.
  22. Marincowitz, G., P. S. Pretorius and S. N. Herbst. 1966. Dominance in sexual behaviour and mating dexterity in Merino rams. S. Afri. J. Agric. Sci. 9:971-980.
  23. Meese, G. B. and R. Ewbank. 1972. A note on the instability of the dominance hierarchy and variations in levels of aggression within groups of fattening pigs. Anim. Prod. 14:359.
  24. Nawaz, M., M. Khan, M. Qureshi and E. Rasool. 1998. Production and reproductive performance of Kajli and Lohi ewes. Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 11:176-184.
  25. Patel, M., N. Das, H. N. Pandey, M. C. Yadav and P. S. Girish. 2004. Mating behaviour of rams in pen mating system. Ind. J. of Small Ruminants (in press).
  26. Schein, M. W. and M. H. Fohrman. 1954. The effect of rank separation on the intensity of the contents in dairy cows. Bull. Ecol. Soc. Amer. 35:74.
  27. Shreffler, C. and W. D. Hohenboken. 1974. Dominance and mating behaviour in ram lambs. J. Anim. Sci. 39(4):725-731.
  28. William, E. P. and M. T. Clegg. 1965. Studies of mating behaviour and some factors influencing the sexual response in the male sheep Ovis aries. Anim. Behav. XIII(2-3):244-258.

Cited by

  1. Reproductive behavior in hair sheep rams under tropical conditions pp.1573-7438, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-019-01856-8