Reproductive function of Hungarian Mangalica boars: Effect of seasons

Abstract

Seasonal changes in testis volume, testosterone (T) productivity (GnRH test) and semen characteristics of Mangalica boars were studied. The biggest testis volume was measured in autumn and the smallest in winter. Significant differences were demonstrated between autumn-winter (P = 0.012) and autumn-spring (P = 0.015) in testis volume. The highest basic T concentration (Tb) was observed in autumn and the lowest in summer. The provoked T concentration (Tincr) was significantly higher in autumn than in spring (P = 0.0007). A strong correlation was observed between T concentrations and testis volume in spring. The highest ejaculate volume was measured in winter while the lowest in autumn. Significant differences were found in semen concentration as well as in the total number of spermatozoa per ejaculate between seasons. The highest number of abnormal sperm cells was observed in spring while the lowest in summer. It can be concluded that the ejaculate of the Mangalica breed tends to be of lower volume and higher sperm concentration as compared to most pig breeds. Seasonal differences could be observed in testicular measurements, testosterone production capacity and sperm morphological features; however, sperm motility remained constantly high during the study.