Authors : Kamal , A. Gubartallah , A. Ahmed , Amel , O. Bakhiet and A. Babiker
Abstract: Six mature Saanen bucks imported from the Netherlands for upgrading of local Sudanese goats and six, mature Nubian bucks were chosen from the Small Ruminant Research Centre at Kuku, Khartoum North were used. The experiment was designed to investigate the effect of climate and seasons on the mating behaviour and semen characteristics. Semen was collected by an Artificial Vagina (AV) at weekly intervals and ejaculate volume, spermatozoa motility, concentration and percentage of dead and abnormal sperm cells were monitored. The Saanen bucks were found to have a definite breeding season (early autumn to winter), libido was significantly higher (p<0.05) in autumn with and average value of 61.98 sec. The observation of Nubian bucks indicated normal libido (summer and autumn) with an average value of 35.2 sec. The semen of Saanen and Nubian bucks were characterized by an ejaculate volume of 0.77 and 0.88 mL, concentration 2.77 and 2.08 10 10 sperm cell/mL, mass activity score of 3.19 and 3.42%, sperm were active 68.7 and 82.78%, 15.49 and 6.1% were dead and 8.56 and 5.68 had abnormal morphology. The poorest quality semen was collected during summer with the highest incidence of abnormality (19.32). No seasonal effect on mating behaviour or libido of Nubian bucks was observed.
Kamal , A. Gubartallah , A. Ahmed , Amel , O. Bakhiet and A. Babiker , 2005. Comparative Studies on Reproductive Performance of Nubian and Saanen Bucks under the Climatic Conditions of Khartoum . Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 4: 942-944.