Mensuração do trato genital masculino de caprinos do Nordeste do Brasil

Abstract

The morphometric characteristics of the male-breeding system goats, especially testicular males, have been used as parameters for the choice of breeders, due to ease of measurement and correlation with seminal parameters. This study aimed to measure the male genital tract of goats and establish the correlations between the different constituents of the tract and body weight. Twelve pubescent goat males (six 3/4 Anglo nubian × 1/4 SRD and six 3/4 Boer × 1/4 SRD) males were used, with an average age of approximately nine months and weights of 20.53 ± 0.60 kg and 20.94 ± 0.55 kg, respectively. The animals were kept under intensive management with balanced feeding. The diet was provided in the 70:30 ratio (bulky:concentrate) and elaborated to contain 16% crude protein and 75% of Total Digestible Nutrients (TD). The animals were weighed and slaughtered, and the genitals were collected, identified and frozen for further laboratory measurement. Bulbouretrais were also measured in vivo by ultrasound regarding width, and the rectal touch was performed to determine the location, size, consistency and symmetry of these glands. The results were expressed in mean and standard deviation and the parameters weight, width, thickness and length of the different structures of the reproductive system were submitted to student's t-test at 5% probability. A positive correlation was observed between body weight and the structures analyzed, as well as with testicular measurements of length, width and thickness. Testicular weight had a high positive correlation with the length of the epididymis, but low correlation with the length of the vesicular and bulbish glands. The results obtained in this study sometimes differ from those found in the literature, and due to the characteristics of the goat reproductive system, especially testicularones, vary according to race, weight, climate, among other variables, it is it is necessary to know the parameters of the male genital tract of breeds created in northeastern Brazil in order to obtain greater success in choosing breeders and a better genetic gain in the herds of this region.