Luis Fonseca Matos

Evaluation of the breeding behavior of Brazilian Pony stallions

The aim of this study was to evaluate the breeding behavior of Brazilian Pony stallions during semen collection to examine the effect of age category (AC) and month of evaluation on the characteristics of breeding behavior. Nine stallions were evaluated during the breeding and non-breeding season, 5-8 (AC1) and 9-13 years (AC2) of age. The variables evaluated were reaction time (RT), mount time one (MT1) and two (MT2), mount and ejaculation time (MEjT), mounting without erection (MWEr), mounting without ejaculation (MWEj), flehmen, kicks, bites, smells, vocalizations and serum testosterone concentration. Analyses of variance and correlation were performed. The average scores were RT: 56.2±92.9s, MT1: 115.0±122.4s, MT2: 196.4±160.7s, MEjT: 21.8±3.2s, MWEr: 0.8±1.3s, MWEj: 2.1±3.5s, flehmen: 3.8±3.0s, kicks: 0.3±1.2s, bites: 1.0±2.0s, smells: 5.7±3.5s, vocalizations: 6.4±6.3s and testosterone: 0.89±0.52ng/mL. The AC affected the RT (P<0.05) but not the other traits. Month of evaluation did not affect most variables (P>0.05). The correlations between age and RT and between age and MT1 and MT2 were significant. The correlation between testosterone and MEjT was moderate and negative. The breeding behavior of Brazilian Pony stallions was similar across different months of evaluation and different age categories. The month of evaluation and age category also did not affect testosterone concentrations, meaning that semen collection is feasible throughout the year.

Avaliação morfológica das estruturas ovarianas em fêmeas bovinas zebuínas durante o ciclo estral

The aim of this study was to evaluate aspects morphometric, ultrastructural and histological structures present in the ovaries of female zebu. We used ten cows. In females that were synchronized, followed the standard protocol used in the technique of fixed time artificial insemination (FTAI). The ovaries were evaluated before synchronization and the day of surgery with the aid of ultrasound. On day 0 of the estrous cycle, two animals were ovariectomized, while the others went through the same process in their days: D5, D11, D14 and D19. The macroscopic structures were all considered. The ovaries had their axes maximum measured. For histological techniques all ovaries were processed and slides evaluated. When ultrasound was found that the average length and width of the ovaries did not have wide variation, and three animals have shown corpus luteum in the right ovary. After ovariectomy measuring the length and width of the ovaries was also performed and it was concluded that there is a significant difference between the morphometric measurement of cycling and anestrous females. Histologically, the structures found in the ovaries of cows differ only by the amount of primordial follicles.