Psychological Factors
Any FORM of STRESS can result in a psychological and physiological cause of reproductive failure. Examples of stressful conditions include but are not limited to:
- Stress during natural mating (might be due to fighting with other females or males)
- Female being nervous at time of artificial insemination (AI)
- Isolation stress
- Transportation
- Heat/cold stress can impact libido in males and females
- Any type of trauma might also result in infertility
- Inhibitions about AI area/teaser animals
- Any pain or discomfort during collection can cause loss of libido in males
Regardless of the source of the stressor, if an animal is under stress at a critical time, this causes a release of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) from the anterior pituitary that acts in suppressing luteinizing hormone (LH) release . This will most likely delay or prevent ovulation in females and cause reduced libido in males. It is therefore important to minimize any types of stress during the breeding season to promote optimal reproductive rates. For additional information on hormones and their role in goat reproduction please visit http://www.extension.org/pages/19731/reproductive-biology-goat-reproductive-physiology
Keywords: stress, stressors, reproductive stress, reproductive failure
