Studies on testicular biometry and reaction time in Surti bucks

A study was conducted for a period of 60 days separately during the breeding and non-breeding seasons, with an objective to use various reproductive traits as selection criteria to exploit maximum reproductive potential of Surti bucks for breeding purpose.Eight apparently healthy adult Surti bucks were selected randomly on basis of their breed characteristics, age and sexual activity and were divided into two groups to collect semen once daily (Group-I, n=4) and twice daily (Group-II, n=4), with first and second successive ejaculate with no predetermined time.The reproductive traits viz.scrotal circumference, right and left testicular length, right and left testicular circumference and right and left testicular diameter were measured at every 10 days interval during both the seasons, i.e. 1 st , 10 th , 20 th , 30 th , 40 th , 50 th and 60 th day whereas reaction time was measured prior to each semen ejaculation.The biometric results of reproductive traits such as scrotal circumference, right and left testicular length, circumference and diameter apart from the reaction time of individual bucks were significantly (p<0.05)influenced by the season and ejaculation frequencies.All of these traits except the reaction time were higher during the breeding season and also the ejaculates obtained once daily.The pooled biometrics of scrotal circumference was significantly (p<0.05)higher during the breeding season (26.230.12cm) than the non-breeding season (25.550.15cm).The pooled data of reaction time during non-breeding season (44.240.68seconds) were significantly higher (p<0.05)than breeding season (25.150.70 seconds).The reaction time of 65.151.83and 32.321.12seconds was resulted at the ejaculation frequency of second successive and once daily, respectively during the non-breeding season in comparison to 42.381.24and 19.280.58seconds during the breeding season.