The effect of protein enriched Opuntia cladodes supplementation upon changes of serum total protein, urea, cholesterol, glucose as related to estrus induction (EI%), estrus latency (EL, h), and ovulation rate (OR, units) in adult anestrous goats exposed to the male effect was evaluated. In late April, anestrus goats (n = 45, 25° N) homogeneous regarding live weight (LE; 43.8 ± 1.6 kg) and body condition score (BCS; 2.3 ± 0.1 units) were randomly assigned to: (1). Protein-enriched Opuntia (PEO; n = 15; 29.8% CP, 2.2 Mcal ME kg⁻¹), (2). Non-enriched Opuntia (NEO; n = 15; 6.4% CP, 2.1 Mcal ME kg⁻¹), and (3). Control (CON; n = 15). NEO and PEO goats were individually supplemented with cladodes (160 g d⁻¹; 0900–1000 h), thereafter all groups grazed in a marginal rangeland (1000–1800 h). Neither LW (p > 0.05) nor BCS (p > 0.05) differed among groups, yet an increased (p < 0.05) EI % (100, 57, 42 ± 0.16%), EL h (62, 60, 32 ± 4.2 h), and OR (1.33, 0.71, 0.43 ± 0.23 units) occurred in PEO and NEO vs. CONT, respectively. However, neither blood metabolites differed among groups nor a treatment x time interaction occurred. Peri-breeding protein enriched Opuntia cladodes supplementation of anestrous goats exposed to active males increased (p < 0.01) reproductive outcomes during the non-breeding season.

Dorper rams (n = 24) were evaluated during the sexual resting season to determine their social rank (SR), either high (HSR) or low (LSR), under intensive management conditions in northern Mexico (25° N). Aggressive behaviors were quantified during male-to-male interactions, and appetitive and consummatory sexual behaviors during male-to-female interactions. Morphometric, live weight (LW), and body condition score (BCS) were recorded. During the early reproductive season, male-to-female behaviors were newly itemized simultaneously by seminal quality and quantity sampling. Finally, the dependent variables of the hemogram components were also quantified. Neither LW (61.25 ± 2.4 kg) nor morphometric variables differed between SR groups. However, BCS (2.25 vs. 2.66 u), sexual behaviors (i.e., approaches: 59.6 vs. 21.73 n, mating with ejaculation: 77.7 vs. 42.86 %, latency to ejaculation: 16.6 vs. 143.07 s), ejaculate volume (0.57 vs. 0.23 mL), and hemogram components favored the HSR rams (p < 0.05). Moreover, in their first male-to-female interaction, >50% of the LSR rams failed to display any sexual activity. HSR rams displayed a greater number of threatening behaviors, managing to displace LSR rams when exposed to estrus ewes during the male sexual resting season; more sexual behaviors; and an increased seminal volume in a non-live weight-dependent fashion.

Based on a circular economy approach, we evaluated the possible effect of targeted supplementation with leftover feed from dairy cows (i.e., intensive system) on the reproductive performance of crossbred/rangeland goats (i.e., extensive system) in arid Northern Mexico. During the deep-anestrous season (i.e., March–April, 25° North), multiparous goats (n = 38) with a similar body weight (BW) and body condition score (BCS) were randomly assigned to two groups: (1) supplemented group (SG; n = 19; BCS: 1.76 ± 0.07; BW: 43.7 ± 1.8 kg), receiving 400 g goat d⁻¹ of dairy-cow-feed leftovers prior to grazing; and (2) non-supplemented group (NS; n = 19; BCS: 1.76 ± 0.06; BW: 44.3 ± 2.5 kg). Both groups were directed to the rangeland for a period of ≈8 h. While the experimental period lasted 36 d, the experimental breeding considered 11 d (d0–d10). The anovulatory status of goats was ultrasonographically confirmed on days −20, −10, and −1 prior to male–female interaction. Previously, bucks were separated for 3 weeks from the experimental females and received exogenous testosterone every third day (i.e., 50 mg i.m.) prior to mating. With respect to the response variables, namely BW, BCS, blood glucose levels (BGLs), estrus induction (GIE, %), latency to estrus (LTE, h), estrus duration (ED, h), and luteal tissue volume (LTV, mm), no differences (p > 0.05) occurred between experimental groups. However, the response variables, namely goats ovulating (GO, %; 78.9 vs. 47.3), total number of corpuses luteum (TNCL, n; 27 vs. 13), ovulation rate (OR, n; 1.42 vs. 0.73), multiple ovulation (MO, %; 73.3 vs. 55.5), and pregnancy rate on d 36 (PRd36, %, 68.4 vs. 36.8), favored (p < 0.05) the SG over the NS goats. Our results demonstrate that connecting the circularity of two divergent ruminant production systems (i.e., cow-intensive and goat-extensive) by using dairy cows’ feed leftovers as a targeted supplementation strategy in anestrous goats under a marginal-rangeland production system enhanced out-of-season reproductive outcomes (i.e., ovulation rate and pregnancy rate), thus benefiting marginal goat producers and their families.

El objetivo fue determinar la influencia del estrés calórico sobre los efectos adversos postinmunización en becerras Holstein-Friesian. Se inmunizaron 547 becerras en siete establos lecheros en Torreón, Coahuila, México. Se registró el desarrollo de las reacciones adversas y se calculó el ITH (índice Temperatura Humedad). El 6.4% (n = 35) presentaron reacciones adversas; de estas, el 25.7% (n = 9) murieron. Destaca que el mayor número de muertes (n = 3) se observó entre los 90 y 120 min, así como que uno de los lotes comerciales produjo la mitad de las reacciones.Se observó que el estrés calórico influye en el tiempo de aparición de las reacciones adversas; un nivel moderado-severo afecta a las becerras mayores (60 d) con un tiempo de aparición más prolongado (90 min); y un nivel más bajo de estrés afecta a las becerras más jóvenes (32 d) con signos de aparición más rápida (32.5 min).

The objective was to evaluate the influence of the seasons of the year on the seminal quality of Quarter Horses. 12 stallions aged 9 to 12 years were used, a Colorado artificial vagina was used for semen collection, motility, concentration and volume were immediately evaluated, it was considered as spring (March 20-June 21); summer (June 22-September 23); autumn (September 24-December 21) and winter (December 22-March 19). The parameters showed no significant difference in volume (P>0.05) between stations. However, there was a difference between the months of May (81.1±15.2) vs February (46.6±2.8), in sperm motility it was higher (P<0.05) in summer (85.6±2.6) vs winter (71.5±19.0), the sperm concentration 10x6 was significantly higher (P0.05) entre estaciones. Sin embargo, hubo diferencia entre los meses de mayo (81.1±15.2) vs febrero (46.6±2.8), en motilidad espermática fue mayor (P<0.05) en verano (85.6±2.6) vs invierno (71.5±19.0), la concentración espermática 10x6 fue significativamente mayor (P<0.05) en verano (269.8±51.4) vs invierno (207.9±80.4). Estos resultados permiten concluir que la estación del año tiene influencia sobre la calidad seminal. Por lo cual al implementar biotecnologías reproductivas en el Norte de México podemos utilizar el semen equino de sementales Cuarto de Milla, preferentemente obtenido en la época con mayor producción y calidad seminal. http://dx.doi.org/10.21929/abavet2023.21 e2022-48 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDnUvD3MqeQ http://dx.doi.org/10.21929/abavet2023.21 e2022-48 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDnUvD3MqeQ