Thoughts on heat and sterility...

[OneAcreFarm]

So, Hubs being the analyst that he is, :roll: Looked up the daily temps for our area since July. Here in SE Texas, we had our last week of temps over 90 in September. Every breeding in August, September and October resulted in a failure. The November breedings finally took and when we counted up...it was a full 42 days between the last extended period of over 90 degree temps and the first breeding that caught. Interesting....

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Wow, that seems like a long time- it is my understanding that sperm is in constant stages of development in the testes- from your data it would seem that all developing sperm were destroyed, and the testes had to "start over". Still, 42 days seems a long time for a sperm to go from a gleam in Daddy's eye to being viable. Anyone out there know how long it takes sperm to fully develop?

Can bucks fully retract their testes to protect them from heat as most (all?) other males do? I would think that they could and consequently the only sperm die-off would be in the vas-deferens, (ducts that carry sperm to the urethra), because they are closer to the surface of the testicle.

Time for someone to come up with an iced bunny jockstrap... it could be called the "Cool Cup"!

 

[MaggieJ]

Since the body temperature of a rabbit is higher than the 90+ degrees of the weather, I don't think retracting the testicles would help. Isn't such retraction more a defense against extreme cold?

 

[OneAcreFarm]

Since the body temperature of a rabbit is higher than the 90+ degrees of the weather, I don't think retracting the testicles would help. Isn't such retraction more a defense against extreme cold?

Yes, they retract in the cold and extend in the warm. There is documentation that it can take up to 90 days to get viable sperm after a week of temps over 90...I will have to look it up again....

 

[LilFish_JWQueen(:]

Since the body temperature of a rabbit is higher than the 90+ degrees of the weather, I don't think retracting the testicles would help. Isn't such retraction more a defense against extreme cold?

Yes, they retract in the cold and extend in the warm. There is documentation that it can take up to 90 days to get viable sperm after a week of temps over 90...I will have to look it up again....

I was gona say the same thing OneAcreFarm.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Since the body temperature of a rabbit is higher than the 90+ degrees of the weather, I don't think retracting the testicles would help. Isn't such retraction more a defense against extreme cold?

Ooops- my bad. You're right. They retract with the cold, drop in the heat. Guess I didn't have enough coffee before posting. I could sing everyone a rather ribald ditty on the subject... if I could sing, that is! I'd best leave that for an adults-only forum I suppose...

Still, the "Cool Cup" is a viable option! :lol:

 

[OneAcreFarm]

I saw a hilarious pic on one of these boards where a buck was laying across the top of a frozen 2 liter bottle to "cool the jools" LOL

 

[LilFish_JWQueen(:]

:lol: :lol: oh my lol :lol: :lol:

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Smart buck! Wonder if it worked?

When we start the breeding season at the ranch where I do A.I., we always do a couple of collections on the donkeys to clean out the dead sperm in the vas-deferens, as well as clean out any dead cells, etc. Is that typical when using a buck for the first time after a long break between breeding as well?

 

[fuzzy9]

I saw a hilarious pic on one of these boards where a buck was laying across the top of a frozen 2 liter bottle to "cool the jools" LOL

That was my cally buck, U.B., and dangit, I can't find the pic again! :evil: Yes, it worked, I got kits out of him all summer. I only had a couple of misses from him, and his kit qty dropped down to 5 on the average, but he produced all summer. My NZW buck stopped producing until it cooled down.

 

[Miss M]

Time for someone to come up with an iced bunny jockstrap... it could be called the "Cool Cup"!

:lol:

 

[OneAcreFarm]

I saw a hilarious pic on one of these boards where a buck was laying across the top of a frozen 2 liter bottle to "cool the jools" LOL

That was my cally buck, U.B., and dangit, I can't find the pic again! :evil: Yes, it worked, I got kits out of him all summer. I only had a couple of misses from him, and his kit qty dropped down to 5 on the average, but he produced all summer. My NZW buck stopped producing until it cooled down.

Fuzzy, you had it on your photobucket....

 

[Secuono]

Don't human males make new sperm daily? If so, why not rabbits? If they did the same, it would not take so long. Maybe lower temps also inhibit sperm growth, we just don't know 100% yet?
All animals reproduce in spring. IE, have babies in spring. Some breed in fall, but birth in spring, still. It would seem normal that the heat of summer would end breeding and birthing so winter babies were not born and wasted. Since we are human and demand food now,we really need to learn how nature works and either work with nature or suffer in anger against it.
If you can keep your rabbit barn/room a steady temp year round, you will never have temp related issues.

 

[LilFish_JWQueen(:]

Don't human males make new sperm daily? If so, why not rabbits? If they did the same, it would not take so long. Maybe lower temps also inhibit sperm growth, we just don't know 100% yet?
All animals reproduce in spring. IE, have babies in spring. Some breed in fall, but birth in spring, still. It would seem normal that the heat of summer would end breeding and birthing so winter babies were not born and wasted. Since we are human and demand food now,we really need to learn how nature works and either work with nature or suffer in anger against it.
If you can keep your rabbit barn/room a steady temp year round, you will never have temp related issues.

I agree its how it works.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

Don't human males make new sperm daily? If so, why not rabbits? If they did the same, it would not take so long. Maybe lower temps also inhibit sperm growth, we just don't know 100% yet?
All animals reproduce in spring. IE, have babies in spring. Some breed in fall, but birth in spring, still. It would seem normal that the heat of summer would end breeding and birthing so winter babies were not born and wasted. Since we are human and demand food now,we really need to learn how nature works and either work with nature or suffer in anger against it.
If you can keep your rabbit barn/room a steady temp year round, you will never have temp related issues.

Most of my rabbits are outdoors, so no go on the steady temp...but I may find a different spot for the bucks next summer.

 

[fuzzy9]

I saw a hilarious pic on one of these boards where a buck was laying across the top of a frozen 2 liter bottle to "cool the jools" LOL

That was my cally buck, U.B., and dangit, I can't find the pic again! :evil: Yes, it worked, I got kits out of him all summer. I only had a couple of misses from him, and his kit qty dropped down to 5 on the average, but he produced all summer. My NZW buck stopped producing until it cooled down.

Fuzzy, you had it on your photobucket....

I guess I pulled it off of there. I know I have it on my editing computer in my office, so I'll see if I can pull it off there tomorrow to post it.

 

[downonthefarm]

When we start the breeding season at the ranch where I do A.I., we always do a couple of collections on the donkeys to clean out the dead sperm in the vas-deferens, as well as clean out any dead cells, etc. Is that typical when using a buck for the first time after a long break between breeding as well?

We let first time bucks breed with the does that are ready for freezer camp. We also do this after prolonged heat or if we haven't used him in awhile. It seems to help.