Automatic oestrus detection system enables monitoring of sexual behaviour in sheep
Résumé
An experiment was conducted to observe the oestrous behaviour in ewes through an automated oestrusdetection system. Five mature adult Merino male rams, equipped with an electronic detector (Alpha-D),were included with a total of 60 ewes from the same breed. The libido of the males was assessed asthe number and frequency of mounts. The accepted mountings by ewes were recorded by an electronicidentifier worn by the female. In the first synchronized oestrus (C1), the ewes were exposed to ramswearing an anti-mating apron. In the following spontaneous cycle (C2), all the rams were allowed tomate. In the third cycle (C3) and the fourth cycle (C4), the rams were assumed to detect ewes in oestrus(open ewes). After the exclusion of isolated readings, the mean interval from sponge withdrawal to onsetof oestrus was 31 ± 11 h and duration of oestrus in C1–C3 was 22 ± 18, 16 ± 11 and 16 ± 8 h, respectively.The libido differed widely among the rams and cycles number with an average number of mounts perram in C1–C4, that were 213, 322, 85 and 3 respectively. It is concluded that all the females were correctlydetected and the assessed libido of males was repeated.
