Testicular biometry and semen quality in Bengal kids during pubertal period

Abstract

AbstractThe present experiment was carried out to ascertain age at puberty and sexual maturity in Bengal bucks reared in India and Bangladesh. Bengal males (n = 33) aged between 2 and 12 months were selected and categorized into group A (aged 4–12 months) and Group B (aged 2–8 months). Body weight, scrotal circumference, and testicular biometry, blood testosterone levels of males under Group A were recorded at 15 days intervals. Semen collection was attempted from four months of age onward, and collected semen samples were evaluated for quality and cryo-preservability. Male kids under group B were castrated from two months of age onward, testicular biometry and quality parameters of sperm cells harvested from cauda epididymis were recorded. Body weight, scrotal and testicular biometry parameters increased significantly as age advances and were positively correlated. Ejaculates collected from kids aged 4.5 months contained few immature sperm cells while cauda epididymis of castrated kids contained viable sperm cells from 5 months of age onward, and blood testosterone levels reached 5.95 ± 0.44 ng/ml at the same period. But semen ejaculates containing adequate numbers of matured motile sperm cells could be collected only from six months of age onward. Further, semen ejaculate characters and their cryo-survivability were optimal at 11–12 months of age with almost stable body weight, and scrotal/ testicular biometry. Based on the above facts, it could be concluded that the Bengal bucks attained puberty at 5–6 months and sexual maturity at 11–12 months of age.