Sexual behaviour in domestic animals

Question 1

ultimate goal of reproduction

Answer 1

to produce off spring

Question 2

the immediate goal of reproduction

Answer 2

-bonding, social
-gratification (highly motivated behaviour
-hormone and reward system (endorphins)

Question 3

advantages of sexual reproduction

Answer 3

-new genetic variations in susequent off spring
-adaptability:
-bad mutations lost, good mutations spread
-disease resistance
-adaptability to environmental change

Question 4

male and female cost and benifits

Answer 4

-male: usually initator, may need to fend for his females (could loose breeding)
-female: usually bears and looks after young

Question 5

males and females goals

Answer 5

-maximize offspring reared
-minimize investment time and energy

Question 6

polymorphic

Answer 6

-female selects male based on
-fitness and health traits
-symmetry
-coloration
-avalibility

Question 7

dimorphic

Answer 7

-based things like colour

Question 8

what do males compete for

Answer 8

access and control

Question 9

female investment to sex and commitment

Answer 9

-direct
-large gamete
-gestation
-lactation and care

Question 10

male investment to sex and commitment

Answer 10

-indirect
-small gametes
-paternity uncertain

Question 11

causation: hormones

Answer 11

-they have an important influence
-affect targeted reproductive tissue and nervous system (but dont directly cause behaviour to occur)
-hormone (regulatory substances)(gonadotrophins) carried by the blood to gonads where they stimulate development of eggs and sperm
-gonads produce the sex hormones (estrogen and testosterone) that directly control most reproductive behaviour

Question 12

word of the day

Answer 12

bovine

Question 13

kamar

Answer 13

heat detection strips for cows

Question 14

how does environment impact likelihood a behaviour is performed

Answer 14

-given and appropriate environment
-why knowlage of species is important
-pasture with no feed=stressor=less breeding

Question 15

how do individuals vary in hormone responses and behaviours

Answer 15

-greatly
-thats why is beneficial to know you animals

Question 16

estrous

Answer 16

(adjective) the estrous cycle itself including estrus and anestrus

Question 17

estrus

Answer 17

(noun) the period of “heat” of female receptivity during the estrus cycle

Question 18

anestrus

Answer 18

period of sexual inactivity between 2 estrus cycles

Question 19

characteristics of females in estrus

Answer 19

-attractivity (pharmones)
-proceptivity (male seeking)
-receptivity (standing, lordosis)

Question 20

what is lordosis

Answer 20

when the female curves her spine up to make her vulva positioned for mating

Question 21

attractivity in females

Answer 21

-female becomes more attractive to the male when in estrus (function of being in estrus)
-pharmones in urine can cause flehmens respose

Question 22

female attractively and pharmones

Answer 22

1) attract males
2) they may speed up sexual maturity in young females
3) impacts social groupings (cows form a SAG)

Question 23

what is a SAG

Answer 23

-a sexually active group in cows
-for when they cause each other to be receptive

Question 24

proceptivity in females

Answer 24

-initial phase when courtship occurs
-cows: LH secretion so female-female mounting, increased activity (use of pedometers in dairy cows)

Question 25

what plays a big role in proceptivity

Answer 25

-age and weight -heavier weight correlates with sexual maturity -older and mixed flocks correlated with higher seeking (sexual maturity)(yound following old: demostraters) -larger paddocks=less seeking

Question 26

receptivity in females

Answer 26

-accepts male advances -standing: species specific behaviour: -cow: stands, lifts tail -horses: interested in stalion, urination, vulva winking -goat: wagging of turned up tail "flagging"

Question 27

estrus detection

Answer 27

-critical for animal production -can be easy or... -can be difficult (silent ovulation, or sub-estrus) -behaviour is very important

Question 28

what is silent ovulation

Answer 28

ovulations without estrus behaviours

Question 29

what is sub-estrus

Answer 29

very short estrus cycle that often occurs at night

Question 30

silent ovulation in sheep

Answer 30

-ewes that arent cycling generally will start after introduction to a ram -estrous behaviour is only induced if the female has recently been exposed to hight levels of progesterone -with out a corpus lutea form the previous cycle the ewe has not been producing progesterone and fails to show estrus when it ovulates -but the first time is usually silent (ram cant detect) -estrus behaviour will occur next cycle

Question 31

silent ovulation in cattle

Answer 31

-rare but does occur -ovulation associated with very little sexual activity are more common -often the first postpartum ovulation (no behavioural inducations) -CL then releases progesterone, which resets brain and results in normal next cycle

Question 32

the ram effect

Answer 32

-exposure to a sexually mature ram -may be used in breeding flocks -ovulation may be hastened or synchronizeed by exposing ewes to a male -pheromones in waxy secretion of flanks and groin areas

Question 33

boar effect

Answer 33

-boar exposure induces estrous in sows -induces puberty in gilts -boar salivary pheromones critical

Question 34

presents of a male in cows

Answer 34

-not so clear -some evidence that bull presence can influence estrous cycle -contradictory results breed differences or effect is weak

Question 35

characteristics of male sexual behaviour

Answer 35

-physiological modivation, libito: physical, physiological ability

Question 36

what is spiking

Answer 36

-used in the breeder poultry industry -species specific -increased sexual behaviour in goats, bulls and horses by observing another male mate, or being restrained near a teaser animal -doesnt work in rams

Question 37

what is the most important thing in male sexual behaviour

Answer 37

-brain effect -phycological modivation

Question 38

what modivates male sexual behaviour

Answer 38

-sexual motivation and performance is stimulated by visual and olfactory stimuli

Question 39

flehmen response

Answer 39

-inhales with moulth open and upper lip curled to allow exposure to the vomernasal organ -odour compounds directly contact vomernasal organ (at roof of mouth or at base of nasal septum) -seen im mammals such as cats, ungulates, bovides, equids

Question 40

male behaviours in different species

Answer 40

-boar "chant-de-coeur" males produce odour and vocolize to stimulate females -sheep: male paw, lick -goat: urinates

Question 41

male competition

Answer 41

-multi-sire herds or flocks common in commercial production -matings detriment by generally size, age, seniority -dominant animal does most matings but there is a cost, ie he fights another bull and the small one sneaks in

Question 42

assessing sexual performance

Answer 42

-critical for animal and purebred pet industry -high performance requires high motivation and competent physical abilities -various measures depending on use: ~AI collection or live breeding ~serving capacity- breedings per unit time ~semen quality (count, activity)

Question 43

coolidge effect and refractory period

Answer 43

-sexual motivation restored by exposure to new or different females -refractory period is where the male speed up during the Coolidge effect -increase matings per day

Question 44

elements of sexual behaviour squence

Answer 44

-appetitive (invitation to approach and mount) -consummatory (period when sexual activity takes place) -refractory (recovery phase)