Background: The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of single subcutaneous melatonin administration on body weight, libido and serum biochemical profile in Magra rams during non-breeding season. 
 
Methods: Magra (n=12) rams, (average age: 26 months, Avg. body weight: 35 kg) were randomly divided in to two groups and rams received single subcutaneous melatonin @18 mg/ram dissolved in 1 ml corn oil were considered as treatment group (n=6) and ram received corn oil (1 ml) sans melatonin were considered as control group (n=6). Post four weeks of experiment, reaction time was observed during the semen collection @ once in a week for next six consecutive weeks for quantification of libido. Initial and final body weight was recorded to evaluate the effect of melatonin on the body weight gain. Blood was collected at fortnightly intervals i.e., 0, 15, 30, 45, 60 and 75th day of experiment to evaluate serum biochemical profiles. 
 
Result: In the present study, overall mean values of reaction time were observed significantly (P&lt;0.05) lower in treatment group as compared to control group, however, mean values during weeks didn&rsquo;t differ significantly between groups. Analysis of variance didn&rsquo;t reveal significant interaction between the mean values of reaction time and weeks in both groups. The mean values of initial body weight, final body weight, body weight gain, daily weight gain, serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), AST/ALT ratio, A/G ratio and cholesterol didn&rsquo;t differ significantly between groups. The overall mean values of serum total protein, albumin and globulin were significantly (P&lt;0.05) higher in treatment as compared to the control group. Analysis of variance didn&rsquo;t reveal significant interaction between serum total protein, albumin globulin and weeks in rams of both groups. The results of the study inferred that subcutaneous administration of melatonin (@18 mg/ram) ameliorated the libido, serum total protein, albumin and globulin but has no significant effect on the body weight gain, AST, ALT, AST/ALT ratio, A/G ratio and cholesterol of Magra rams during non-breeding season.

Effect of Melatonin Administration on Libido, Body Weight and Serum Biochemical Profile in Magra Rams During Non-breeding Season

<div>Background: Artificial Insemination in pigs is much easier than other domestic species but the training of boar for the collection of semen is a big constraint. Certain boars are not acquainted with the fixed steel dummy sow and the surrounding environment. Hence, the dummy sows brought in the boar&rsquo;s pen. The steel dummy sow in comparison to wooden is too heavy and found difficult to bring in a boar&rsquo;s pen. Moreover, the wooden dummy sows are locally made and it becomes cost-effective too. The present study was designed to assess the libido and semen quality of boars by using locally made low-cost portable wooden dummy sows. 
 
Methods: The study was conducted on 16 numbers of Large White Yorkshire (LWY) and Mizoram local Zovawk crossbred boars at the age of 10-12 months. The semen collection was done by using a homemade portable &ldquo;wooden dummy sow&rdquo; and steel made &ldquo;fixed dummy sow.&rdquo; The training was done every morning before feeding and semen was collected twice a week by using the gloved hand method when the boars mounted over the dummy sow by holding protruded and erected corkscrew end of the penis firmly. During collection, libido characteristics of the boars were recorded and semen quality was determined.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
Result: The duration of training taken by the boars for semen collection was significantly (P&lt;0.01) less in portable wooden dummies. The sexual behaviour and other behavioural traits were better when boars were trained on a portable wooden dummy. The mean semen volume, sperm mass activity, pH and sperm concentration of LWY crossbred boar was not significantly&nbsp;different between fixed steel and portable wooden dummy. The percentage of initial sperm motility and intact acrosome of boar spermatozoa was significantly (P&lt;0.05) higher in portable wooden dummy. In&nbsp; conclusion, the homemade portable &ldquo;wooden dummy sow&rdquo; was found to be very effective for the training and collection of semen from breedingboars.</div>

Assessment of Libido and Semen Quality of Boar by using Low-cost Portable Wooden Dummy Sow

<div style="text-align: justify;">This study was carried out at National Haras of Tiaret (west of Algeria) to understand and to compare the normal sexual behavior and libido of stallions (Arabian vs Barb) while mounting a mare in estrus. &nbsp;Eighty-four stallions were divided into two groups from 5 to 24 years of age (n=47 Arabian; n=37 Barb). Results revealed significant differences between Arabian and Barb stallion: in sniffing (p&lt;0.001), libido score (p&lt;0.05), flehmen response (p&lt;0.05), time to first mount with erection (p&lt;0.05), number of mounts to ejaculation (p&lt;0.05) and mount time for ejaculatory (p&lt;0.01). These stallions were exactly tested in the same place and conditions allowed us to discard any side effects due to animal management or any other confounding bias. Our study provided us the knowledge of sexual behavior under Algerian environmental conditions and the distinction between Arabian and Barb stallion in their sexual behavior expression.</div>

Evaluation of sexual behavior of stallion (Arabian versus Barb) during breeding season in Algeria

The main objective of the current study was to understand the effect of EMF on testes and semen characteristics in male New Zealand White rabbits under ecological conditions. Rabbits were assigned randomly to 2 treatment groups of 8; EMF and control groups were housed 6 m under high voltage power lines (380 kV) and 500 m away from the power lines for 7 weeks, respectively. Following EMF exposure, blood was withdrawn from all rabbits and 4 rabbits per treatment were euthanized. Remaining rabbits were kept in normal laboratory condition for another 7 weeks for recovery. Decrease in the plasma testosterone concentrations, paired testes, epididimides and the accessory sex gland weights and seminiferous tubule diameters were noted in EMF group. Although ejaculate volume, pH, seminal plasma protein levels and libido were not affected by EMF, the percent sperm head/tail defects, percent progressive motility and sperm concentrations were lower in EMF group. &nbsp;The depression on semen quality was transient and returned to normal by week 7 of recovery period. Therefore, exposure of male animals to EMF may have reversible adverse effect on the reproductive performance. 
&nbsp;

Effects of electromagnetic field on testes and semen characteristics&nbsp;in male New Zealand white RabbIts

Indigenous bull breeds attain puberty late in life when compared to the breeds of Bos taurus. Cross breeding between Bos taurus and Bos indicus has decreased the age at puberty and increased the total semen production period of bulls. However, some of the drawbacks like impaired semen production, poor libido, and low freezability are common among the crossbred bulls in India. Leydig and Sertoli cells are the most important non&ndash;germinal cells of testes that are essential for sperm production. The development and differentiation of these testicular cells occurs during postnatal period in bull calves and are dependent on the transient rise in gonadotropins, insulin&ndash;like growth factor 1 (IGF&ndash;1), and other growth factors. Administration of gonadotropins or gonadotropin&ndash;releasing hormone (GnRH) before the transient rise initiates the multiplication of Leydig and Sertoli cells, and results in hastened onset of sexual maturity, increased testicular weight, sperm output, and number of germ cells. Supplementation of high&ndash;energy diet during the period of 2&ndash;6 months is essential as it increases the IGF&ndash;1 release that further acts to release GnRH and development of testicular non&ndash;germinal cells. &nbsp;This review highlights some of the developments made with respect to regulation of postnatal development of testes, early detection of fertility, and ways to augment the sperm production capacity.

Regulation of postnatal development of testes and its association with puberty and fertility - A review

<div style="text-align: justify;">Taking into account that punicalagin (PUN) is a very powerful antioxidant; the current study evaluated the potential positive effects of oral PUN on spermatologic parameters of male New Zealand White rabbits. A total of 24 male bucks was housed individually and trained for semen collection. After the training for 2 wk, rabbits were assigned into 4 groups and received daily gavages of 0, 1, 2, and 10 mg/kg PUN in tap water for 9 wk. Semen was collected weekly from each rabbit and samples at d 1 and 63 of the experiment were analyzed separately. Initial values (ejaculate volume, ejaculate weight, ejaculate pH, sperm concentration, percent progressive motility, and seminal plasma protein levels) tested at d 1 were similar among the groups. &nbsp;There were also no differences in ejaculate volume, ejaculate weight, ejaculate pH and seminal plasma protein concentrations at the end of the experiment. Libido and reproductive organ weights were not affected by the treatments.However, sperm concentrations (P&lt;0.01) and percent progressive motility (P&lt;0.04) were significantly improved for bucks in 2 and 10 mg/kg PUN groups. Thus, the current study suggested that as low as 2 mg/kg/day PUN can be beneficial for spermatogenesis and motility in male rabbits.</div>

Punicalagin is beneficial for spermatogenesis in male New Zealand White rabbits

<div>Background: Molecular markers based approaches are essential to select fertile bulls for frozen semen production at an early age. The present investigation was undertaken to perform the molecular characterization and identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in Y-chromosome specific DDX3Y gene in Murrah buffalo bulls.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: The genomic DNA isolated from the blood samples of 70 Murrah buffalo bulls, covering bulls with normal seminal traits and poor production performance (poor semen quality, freezability, libido), were subjected to PCR amplification. The sequences of DDX3Y gene were analyzed for single nucleotide polymorphism using the seqman module of DNASTAR LASERGENE software. The single nucleotide variations in the sequences with reference to the Bos taurus sequence were determined using Clustal W. The phylogenetic tree and genetic distance were constructed using the MegAlign module.&nbsp; 
 
Result: The analysis of sequences revealed that the exons and their adjacent intronic regions of the DDX3Y gene are monomorphic in nature without any variations indicating that the sequences are highly conserved in the studied population of Murrah buffalo bulls. However, a considerable number of single nucleotide variations were observed in the sequences of Murrah buffalo compared with Bos taurus sequences. Furthermore, the phylogenetic tree analysis revealed less divergence and close genetic association between the sequences of Murrah buffalo and other species in the bovinae family than the caprinea species. Further studies on DDX3Y gene in a more extensive and diverse population of Murrah buffalo bulls distributed in different regions could aid to discover substantial SNPs.</div>

Identification of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in Y-chromosome Specific DDX3Y Gene in Murrah Buffalo Bulls

Information on culling pattern of animals helps in developing effective breeding plans for genetic improvement of the herd. Data on 292 reserved KF males out of 1740 male calves born, spread over a period of sixteen years from 1997 to 2012, were collected based on pedigree performance. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics considering the period of birth, season of birth, genetic group and age group. Study revealed increase in culling percentage with advancement in age. Culling in KF males for the different periods (1997-2000, P-1; 2001-2004, P-2; 2005-2008, P-3 and 2009-2012, P-4) were 75.93, 92.16, 64.44 and 28.26 percent, respectively. Maximum culling &nbsp;was observed in males born in summer season (76.12%) which could be due to inclement weather conditions exposure in young age and insufficient quality green leguminous fodder in subsequent months. Generally, upto the age of 3 years, culling in KF males were maximum in interbred and minimum in F1 but with advancing age, culling rate was found higher in F1 genetic group KF males where reproductive problems were the main causes. High culling rate in &lt;1.5 yrs age groups was observed due to poor growth (3.42%) while in adult bulls of above 1.5yrs of age, main reasons of culling was surplus (33.22%) followed by poor semen quality (10.27%), poor libido (7.53%), and poor semen freezability (4.45%). It can be concluded that culling pattern study can help in formulation of better management strategy to reduce the problems associated with culling and better economic return for the farm.&nbsp;

Culling pattern of Karan Fries (crossbred) males in an organised herd

<div>Background: Sexual behaviour is an intricate process, controlled by the endocrine constitution of an animal and influenced by the social environment, sensory capability and sexual stimuli. Variations in temperature associated with global warming are startling for fertility of animals. The objective of the present study was to assess the seasonal variation in sexual behaviour of Deoni (Bos indicus) breeding bulls. 
&nbsp; 
Methods: A total of six mature Deoni bulls, maintained for artificial insemination at Livestock Research Center, Southern Regional Station of ICAR-NDRI, Bengaluru, were monitored for sexual behavior during the semen collection at weekly intervals throughout the year using standard techniques. The period of study was divided into three seasons i.e., winter (November to February), summer (March to June) and rainy (July to October). 
 
Result: The season had a non-significant (P&gt;0.05) effect on sexual behavior except dismounting time in Deoni bulls. The libido score (0-10), reaction time (seconds) and the total time taken in mounting (seconds) were non-significantly (P&gt;0.05) higher during winter (7.50&plusmn;0.23, 42.00&plusmn;4.8, 44.00&plusmn;4.8, respectively) as compared to the other seasons. The protrusion score (0-4) and the intensity of thrust (0-4) were non-significantly (P&gt;0.05) higher during summer (2.60&plusmn;0.14 and 2.50&plusmn;0.13) as compared to the other seasons. The dismounting time (seconds) was significantly (P&lt;0.05) higher during summer (2.90&plusmn;0.16) as compared to the other seasons. It can be concluded that Deoni bulls had good sexual behavior throughout the year, however, bulls showed better sexual behavior except for dismounting time during winter as compared to the other seasons.</div>

Seasonal Variation in Sexual Behaviour of Deoni (Bos indicus) Bulls

Background: Bucks raised for breeding purposes receive no special attention and are raised at random without following the correct selection process. Besides, the fertility of the male bucks is never addressed. Goat breeders have noted a sharp decline in the reproductive efficiency of Ganjam goats, associated with a lengthened kidding interval, fewer successful pregnancies and decreased twining frequency. The measurement of male fertility parameters is crucial for estimating the breeding performance of any species since males contribute 50% of the reproductive efficiency. 
 
Methods: A total of 120 Ganjam bucks of different age groups reared by the local farmers of Rambha, Khalikote and Chhatrapur areas of Ganjam district were used for the present study. A total of six healthier bucks of age 1.5(B1), 2(B2), 2.5(B3), 3.5(B4), 4(B5) and 4.5(B6) years were procured from the Farmers for the experimental purpose. For study on effect of season on the semen qualities, twelve ejaculates from each buck were collected, six ejaculates between the month of July to August (season 1) and six ejaculates during October to November (Season 2). 
 
Result: The scrotal length, scrotal width, scrotal circumference have highly significant positive degree of association with Flehmen&rsquo;s reaction and Libido score and all the parameters exhibited highly significant negative degree of association with reaction time. Moreover, the scrotal length, scrotal width and scrotal circumference had significantly higher positive degree of association with colour, volume of the semen and negative degree of association with MBRT. Further, the sperm concentration revealed a highly significant degree of association with scrotal length, scrotal width, scrotal circumference, livability % and acrosome integrity and a significant degree of association with mass activity. Livability % of the semen samples of the six bucks revealed a highly significant degree of association with scrotal length, scrotal width, scrotal circumference, sperm concentration and acrosome integrity.