title: Fertility of the male alpaca: effect of daily consecutive breeding.
abstract: The fertility of the male alpaca under different frequencies of daily consecutive matings was evaluated. Fifteen adult male Huacaya alpacas were divided randomly into three groups of five each to breed lactating female alpacas. The schedule of daily matings was two, four and six consecutive breeding per group and for nine consecutive days. Ovulation was determined by progesterone at seven days after breeding. Pregnancy was determined by ultrasonography at 15 and 30 days after breeding. Two hundred and eighty females were bred with some males not fulfilling their schedule of breeding. There were differences (P < 0.05) in the fertility rate of males breeding two and four times daily (76%) in contrast to 59% for males breeding six times. There were also differences (P < 0.05) in the fertility of individual males. Length of copulation was affected (P < 0.05) by schedule of matings, day of breeding and male. Ovulation was independent of length of copulation. Overall, it seems the fertility of the male alpaca is affected significantly when consecutive matings are over four times a day and for nine consecutive days.
authors.affiliation: Centro Experimental La Raya, Universidad Nacional San Antonio Abad, Cusco Peru. pwbravo@unsaac.edu.pe
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Bravo
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Solis
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ordoñez
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Alarcon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001947:Breeding; D002161:Camelids, New World / Q000502:physiology*; D003307:Copulation / Q000502:physiology*; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D010060:Ovulation / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D011897:Random Allocation; D013997:Time Factors; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D011374:Progesterone