The evolution of some fetal growth indices and arterial blood flow parameters in the umbilical cord of the embryos and fetuses of primiparous pregnant goats of Murciano-Granadina breed were analyzed by ultrasonography. Weekly ultrasonographic sessions took place from 18- to 125-days post-breeding. Fetal measures were carried out by ultrasound B-mode. This mode was used to take a series of measurements in the embryo/fetus throughout pregnancy: crown-rump length (CRL, from 24-days post-mating -dpm- to 61 dpm), trunk diameter (TD, 24–34 dpm), biparietal diameter (BPD, 28–125 dpm) and eye orbit diameter (EOD, 75–125 dpm). Spectral Doppler was used to study blood flow from umbilical artery. Different blood flow parameters were obtained as follows: Arterial Pulse, Peak Systolic Velocity (PSV), End Diastolic Velocity (EDV), Mean Velocity (MV), Systolic velocity/Diastolic velocity Ratio (S/D), Pulsatility Index (PI) and Resistance Index (RI). In this study, the umbilical cord was first noticed between 32- and 35-days post-breeding. However, these umbilical arterial blood flow parameters were not conclusive (positive S/D ratios and RI < 1) until 65–80 days of pregnancy. The explanation to these results could be that vascular development related to umbilical arteries elasticity and diameter is not good enough in early pregnancy. Therefore, these vessels have already acquired their appropriate characteristics in order to allow blood flow parameters and Doppler index measures from only 2.5 months of pregnancy. This is the first time that a detailed study of fetal growth indices and umbilical artery flow rates in fetuses from Murciano-Granadina goats has been performed throughout virtually the entire duration of gestation. In conclusion, the evolution of the fetal growth indices in this breed has determined that the umbilical artery velocimetric parameters (PSV, EDV, MV) increase significantly and the AP, S/D, PI and RI indices decrease significantly throughout the analyzed pregnancy period.

Artificial insemination (AI) with frozen semen in goats still presents serious difficulties, especially in certain goat breeds, in spite of technological progress. The aim of this work is the in vitro study of seminal extenders adapted from those used on other species to evaluate the response of goat sperm to several homeostatic conditions in order to achieve optimal post-thaw semen quality. Three different extenders based on different activity principles were used: (1) extender according to the methodology proposed for pigs, (2) skimmed-milk-based extender according to the methodology proposed for goats in France, and (3) a new egg-yolk-based extender replacing membrane-protective surfactants with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and named by our team as extender “IMIDA”. The freezing guidelines were those proposed for the freezing of porcine semen. The results obtained show that the egg-yolk-based extenders have good parameters of sperm motility at thawing, studied objectively using the computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) system and also subjectively. In particular, in the sperm resistance test after five hours, the thawed sperm containing SDS in their composition showed an optimal average on every evaluated parameter. The new IMIDA extender provided the highest sperm quality averages, so it could be a good extender to use in cryopreservation of semen in the caprine species.

La recogida de semen en caprino se realiza habitualmente utilizando como estímulo sexual una hembra, que ha de sobrellevar las acciones derivadas del comportamiento previo a la monta de los machos de esta especie, además de ser sometida a repetidas inyecciones hormonales para su continua salida en celo. En otras especies, ésta recogida puede realizarse utilizando un macho o un objeto inanimado como señuelo. El objetivo de este trabajo ha sido comprobar si la utilización de otro macho de la misma raza y un maniquí eran eficaces en la extracción de semen en la especie caprina, evaluándose si los machos eran capaces de eyacular, su tiempo de reacción y su calidad seminal cuando se les presentaba un maniquí con forma de hembra caprina u otro macho como estímulo sexual. Se compararon los promedios así obtenidos, con los obtenidos al utilizar una hembra como señuelo. No se observaron diferencias significativas con el uso de otro macho, ni en comportamiento ni en calidad seminal pero sí una menor excitación sexual al utilizar el maniquí, que se tradujo en un menor número de machos que saltaron y eyacularon sobre él (3 machos de 10), mayor tiempo de reacción (17,6 s vs. 51,6 s), promedios significativamente inferiores en el volumen de eyaculado (1,15 ml vs. 0,86 ml) y la concentración espermática (2552x106 vs. 1967x106). Este trabajo puede servir como ensayo preliminar, debiendo probarse si esta técnica puede ser mejorada añadiendo al maniquí algún fluido biológico que aumente la excitación de los machos cabríos.

Asociación Interprofesional para el Desarrollo Agrario AIDA. Información Técnica Económica Agraria ITEA.