Sexual performance of rams as determined by maturation and sexual experience

• Published in: Journal of animal science Vol. 69; no. 3; pp. 1047 - 1052
• Main Authors: Price, E.O. (University of California, Davis), Estep, D.Q, Wallach, S.J.R, Dally, M.R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Savoy, IL Am Soc Animal Sci 01-03-1991; American Society of Animal Science
• Subjects: AGE; Animals; BELIER; Biological and medical sciences; COMPORTAMIENTO SEXUAL; COMPORTEMENT SEXUEL; CONTROLE DE PERFORMANCE; EDAD; EJACULATION; EYACULACION; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; MADUREZ SEXUAL; Male; Mammalian reproduction. General aspects; MATURITE SEXUELLE; MORUECO; PRUEBAS DE RENDIMIENTO; Sexual Behavior, Animal; Sexual Maturation; Sheep - physiology; Vertebrates: reproduction; Vertebrata; Experience; Mammalia; Estrus; Sexual behavior; Sheep; Artiodactyla; Virgin animal; Performance; Ungulata; Age; Maturity
• ISSN: 0021-8812; 1525-3163; 0021-8812
• DOI: 10.2527/1991.6931047x

The purpose of this study was to compare the sexual performance of rams that differed in age (maturation) and sexual experience. Twenty-four ram lambs (8 mo of age) and 21 rams (20 mo of age) were individually exposed to four females in hormonally induced estrus for 30 min on five occasions, 7 d apart. Half (12) the ram lambs and nine of the yearlings were sexually naive at the start of testing (had been denied access to females since weaning); the remaining males were sexually experienced. The sexual performance of the virgin rams was poorer during the initial exposure to females than in subsequent tests, whereas the sexual behavior of the sexually experienced males did not change over the days of testing. Sexually naive ram lambs and rams exhibited an improvement in sexual performance between Tests 1 and 2; during Tests 3 to 5 the sexual performance (ejaculations per test) of sexually naive and experienced rams was similar. The only effects of age (maturation) on sexual performance during the last three test days were a higher frequency of mounts without ejaculation plus mount attempts (P .03) and a greater number of mount interactions per ejaculation (P .02) by ram lambs. In conclusion, one or two relatively brief exposures to estrous females can bring the sexual performance of virgin rams up to levels comparable to that of experienced males. Also, ram lambs in good condition exhibit acceptable levels of sexual performance