CORRELATION BETWEEN TESTICLE MEASUREMENTS AND LIBIDO AND SEMEN QUALITY IN RAMS

A study was conducted at Ijok, Malaysia, to determine the relationship of testicular measurements with libido and semen quality in tropical and imported temperate breeds of sheep. Ten rams each of Malin (M), Siamese Longtail (L), Cross of Merino with Border Leicester (C), Dorset (D) and Suffolk (S) were used for the study. Libido, semen volume and semen quality were recorded monthly for a year together with testicular length, width and circumference. The results showed that there were breed differences in volume and quality of semen where the tropical breeds had better semen compared to the temperate breeds. There was positive and significant correlation between testicle length and semen volume in all the breeds. Testicular length was found to be positively and significantly correlated with motility and sperm concentration in the tropical breeds (L and M). The relationship between libido and testicle measurements in the tropical breeds was not significant (p<0.05). There was variable relationship between the testicular measurements and libido in the temperate breeds where the relationship was significant and negative in breeds C and D and highly significant and positive in S. It was evident that the long testicles influenced the quality of the semen whereas testicles with greater circumference influenced the libido of the rams.