Relationships Among Age, Body Weight, Scrotal Circumference, Semen Quality and Peripheral Testosterone and Estradiol Concentrations in Pubertal and Postpubertal Holstein Bulls

Abstract

In the present study, the correlations among age, body weight, scrotal circumference (SC), semen quality and peripheral testosterone and estradiol-17β (E₂) concentrations were investigated in pubertal (n=5) and postpubertal (n=7) groups of Holstein bulls over a 6 week period. There were significant positive correlations (P<0.01) among age, body weight and SC in both groups, and similar significant correlations between sperm motility and SC in pubertal bulls (P<0.01) and between sperm concentration and SC in postpubertal bulls (P<0.05). The sperm motility after collection (P<0.05) and after freezing and thawing (P<0.01) of the postpubertal bulls correlated positively with the E₂ concentration. Estrogen may be important for the function of postpubertal bull testes, in which it may regulate spermatozoa motility in vivo.