Influence Of Nutritional Level On Seminal Quality And Sexual Behavior Of Male Goats Treated With Artificial Long Days

The objective was to determine if the nutritional level reduces seminal quality and sexual behavior of the male goats treated with artificial long days. Sixteen male goats were divided into two treatments differing in their nutritional level. A group of males received 75 % of their maintenance and reproduction nutritional requirements (G-75; n=8), while another group received 120 % (G-120; n=8). The results shown that scrotal circumference was lower in the G-75 group, than that of group G-120 (P<0.01). Similarly, the ejaculate volume and total number of sperm per ejaculate were lower in the G-75 group (0.5 +/- 0.05 mL and 1.9 x 10(9), respectively) than in the G-120 group (0.7 +/- 0.1 mL and 3.0 x 10(9), respectively; P<0.001). Sperm motility was lower (P<0.001) in the G-75 group (2.6 +/- 0.1) than in the G-120 group (3.2 +/- 0.1). The ejaculation latency was higher in males of the G-75 group than that registered in the G-120 group (P<0.001). The results of the present study demonstrate that, in creole male goats treated with 2.5 months of artificial long days, and a 25% reduction in their nutritional requirements, affected seminal quality and latency to ejaculation during the natural nonbreeding season.