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Abstract
Post-weaning nutrition plays a pivotal role in the reproductive development of sheep; however, its long-term effects during adulthood remain insufficiently studied.
Objective: To assess the long-term impact of post-weaning diets that induced varying average daily gains (ADG) on the reproductive performance of adult Pelibuey rams.
Design/Methodology/Approach: Twenty-eight Pelibuey rams were evaluated after being subjected to nutritional regimens aimed at achieving high (240 g/d), medium (209 g/d), or low (144 g/d) ADG during the post-weaning development phase (up to 40 weeks of age). Thereafter, all animals were maintained on a standardized diet from 18 to 30 months of age. Evaluations included body measurements, testicular and seminal characteristics, sexual behavior, and seminal plasma concentrations of zinc, α-glucosidase, and fructose.
Study Limitations/Implications: The lack of hormonal profiling constrains the physiological interpretation of the mechanisms involved and limits extrapolation to field scenarios.
Results: Rams with low ADG were able to recover body and testicular dimensions and exhibited seminal quality comparable to their counterparts; nonetheless, they demonstrated reduced mating efficiency, requiring a greater number of attempts per ejaculation. Conversely, rams with high ADG exhibited lower progressive motility, potentially associated with testicular oxidative stress.
Findings/Conclusions: Post-weaning undernutrition may exert lasting effects on sexual behavior in adulthood, despite the eventual normalization of body and seminal parameters. Promoting post-weaning ADG within the range of 200–240 g/d is recommended to optimize reproductive performance in hair sheep production systems