Effect of breed on testicular shape and thermography in rams

• Grant number: 22/05718-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2022
• End date: August 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Reproduction
• Principal Investigator: Eunice Oba
• Grantee: Amanda de Oliveira Pessoa Moniz
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The evolution of the Brazilian sheep herd is dependent on several factors, among them, we can mention the correct reproductive management, this occurs mostly under the influence of the tropical climate, so although some autochthonous breeds and others from regions with similar climates are considered well adapted. It is important to identify and select reproductive characteristics of young rams that are intended to be used as sires in herds in tropical and subtropical regions of Brazil. This fact makes it necessary to carry out studies on heat stress in different breeds of sheep raised in Brazil, as well as their adaptation to it. The present work aims to evaluate infrared thermography and testicular shape of rams of different breeds, using 40 sires. The experiment will take place at the "Laboratory of Biotechnology Studies Applied to the Reproduction of Sheep and Goats" of the Department of Veterinary Surgery and Animal Reproduction, FMVZ - UNESP, in the municipality of Botucatu-SP, located at a latitude of 22º53'09" south and longitude 48º26'42" west, at an altitude of 804 meters. The animals will be divided into four batches of four distinct racial groups and submitted to testicular shape evaluation and infrared thermography. (AU)