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The influence of the presence of the female on the sexual behaviour and plasma testosterone levels of the mature male pig

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

P. H. Hemsworth ,
C. G. Winfield  and
W. A. Chamley
P. H. Hemsworth
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, Animal Research Institute, Werribee, Victoria 3030, Australia
C. G. Winfield
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, Animal Research Institute, Werribee, Victoria 3030, Australia
W. A. Chamley
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, Animal Research Institute, Werribee, Victoria 3030, Australia
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Abstract

Twenty-seven mature boars were housed in individual pens for 9 weeks under one of the following social conditions: isolated from female pigs; near sexually non-receptive female pigs; and near sexually receptive female pigs. The sexual behaviour of the boars during the 9-week treatment period was observed weekly in standard 15- min tests. The sum of the individual courting behaviour activities and the total time spent ejaculating were significantly greater for the boars housed near either sexually receptive or sexually non-receptive females than for those boars isolated from female pigs (P<0·01 and P<0·05, respectively). Although the boars housed near sexually receptive and sexually non-receptive females achieved 43 and 38% more copulations, respectively, than those isolated from females, the difference was significant only for the latter comparison (P<005). There was no consistent difference in testosterone concentration over a 12-h period between boars housed near sexually-receptive females and those isolated from females.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 32 , Issue 1 , February 1981 , pp. 61 - 65
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1981

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References

REFERENCES

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