Comportamentos sexuais e produção espermática em garanhões da raça Crioula em regime de coleta de sêmen

Abstract

The horse has selection and gains popularity through its athletic performance, which can affect its reproductive performance. Social and reproductive experiences of stabled stallions differ substantially from those kept in the wild, due to several factors, such as the intensification of management resulting from reproductive biotechniques. The present study describes the sexual activities and behavioral expressions of a sexual nature and the seminal characteristics of Crioula stallions submitted to a semen collection regimen in an artificial dummy. The animals were filmed and ethograms and semen collection were performed during the collection procedure in a dummy and artificial vagina, with the aid of a mare in natural heat. After carrying out the immediate and immediate analyzes of the semen and sexual behavioral characteristics of the stallion, it was observed that among the sexual activities, the longest time spent by the stallion was erection (65s) and the shortest was ejaculation-descent (8s). . The semen samples collected had a mean±SD of 163±74x106 million spermatozoa/ml concentration, 80±10% motility and 4±0.3 vigor. Mounting-ejaculation time was the one with the highest correlation with seminal characteristics. 50.5% of the evaluated seminal collections showed the Flehmen reflex and this was the behavioral expression with the greatest influence on the times and seminal characteristics. The 'adapted sneaking' was present in 45.6% of the evaluated seminal collections, showing influence in the times and in the seminal characteristics. Behavioral expressions of investigation in the environment and teasing influenced time but not seminal characteristics. It is concluded that there is a correlation (p<0.05) both in a positive (r>1) and negative (r<1) character and influence (p<0.05) between sexual activities and behavioral expressions with seminal characteristics of crioula breed stallions in a semen collection regime and that, in general, crioula breed stallions demonstrate precopulatory and copulatory behaviors similar to free-living animals in the collection room.