The Importance of Interactions Among Nutrition, Seasonality and Socio-sexual Factors in the Development of Hormone-free Methods for Controlling Fertility
Around the world, consumers are demanding animal products that are produced to agreed standards for human health, environmental management and animal welfare. This has led to the development in Australia of the concept of ‘clean, green and ethical’ (CGE) animal production based on the manipulation of nutrition (‘focus feeding’) and the application of phenomena, such […]
Reproductive parameters in captive hand-reared black-bellied sandgrouse
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.20185.abs Flock breeders of black-bellied sandgrouse originated from wild-laid eggs collected in west central Morocco in 2003 and 2004, were hatched, and hand-reared in captivity in the framework of a reinforcement population program. Three to five pairs of different ages were housed in an aviary. Egg-pulling procedure was used and eggs incubated artificially. Breeding […]
Reproduction in captive Taiwan macaques (Macaca cyclopis) in comparison to other common macaque species
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.1430140405.abs Twenty-five years of reproductive and birth data from a Macaca cyclopis colony at the New England Regional Primate Research Center (NERPRC) indicate that these animals are seasonal breeders with a birth peak between February and May. Interbirth intervals have a mean of 587.5 ± 45.6 days. The age at first reproduction for females […]
Reproduction of the lesser kudu (Tragelaphus imberbis) at Dvůr Králové Zoo
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.1430110205.abs Reproductive data on captive lesser kudus (Tragelaphus imberis) were collected from 1972 to 1990. The estrous cycles of two females were 21 and 22 days. Mean gestation length of 18 pregnancies was 244 ± 5.5 days (range = 235–256 days), and 71.2% of interbirth intervals (n = 146) were from 248 to 365 […]
The impact of genetic selection for increased milk yield on the welfare of dairy cows
Milk yield per cow has more than doubled in the previous 40 years and many cows now produce more than 20,000 kg of milk per lactation. The increase in production should be viewed with concern because: i) the increase in milk yield has been accompanied by declining fertility, increasing leg and metabolic problems and declining […]
Impact of male–male competition and morphological traits on mating strategies and reproductive success in broiler breeders
The goal of this experiment was to determine the effect of male–male competition on broiler breeder mating strategies and reproductive success and to identify behavioral and morphological traits associated with high fertility. Males were kept in groups with no competition (one male and 10 females; 1M), or high male–male competition (three males and 10 females; […]
Reproductive aging in captive and wild common chimpanzees: Factors influencing the rate of follicular depletion
We examine and discuss evidence of contrasting differences in fertility patterns between captive and wild female chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes, as they age; in the wild females reproduce in their 40s, but captive studies suggest that menopause occurs around that time. Thus, despite the increased longevity generally observed in captive populations reproductive life span is shortened. […]
Wild-laid versus captive-laid eggs in the black-bellied sandgrouse: Is there any effect on chick productivity?
Because survival in captivity is a significant determinant of birds available for release and reinforcement of wild populations, we aimed to identify sources of variation in mortality to assess potential impacts of management on chick productivity. We analyzed characteristics of Black-bellied Sandgrouse eggs collected from the wild and produced by captive pairs. Wild laid-eggs and […]
Hormonal profiles of captive Galapagos tortoises (Chelonoidis nigra)
Monthly blood samples, daily mating observations from Galapagos tortoises (Chelonoidis nigra), and local rainfall and temperature were collected at the Honolulu Zoo as part of a fertility evaluation. Testosterone concentrations were measured for males (n = 6), two of which were seen copulating and were considered sexually active. Estrone sulfate and progesterone concentrations were measured for female […]
The Wood-Gush legacy: A sociobiology perspective to fertility and welfare in chickens
Wood-Gush’s seminal work on the social behaviour and welfare of fowl populations laid the foundations of a sociobiology approach to understand the evolutionary nature of social interactions and their applied significance for domestic animals. Within this context, maintaining high fertility and welfare standards pose key challenges. Reviewing recent advances in the study of sexual behaviour […]