Camelid Mating - Anatomy & Physiology
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BACK TO REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
BACK TO CAMELIDS
In the UK, the aim is to mate females at around 1 year of age. As long as they are fully grown and well-nourished this results in acceptible levels of fertility and health in the mother and cria. Once calved, the female will become receptive to the male again in 2-3 weeks. The female should be able to conceive again if mated at this time.
Paddock Mating
- Male is left to run with the females
- Requires little human intervention
- Precise calving dates will not be known.
Hand or Pen Mating
- Supervised mating where the female is put into a pen with the male while mating takes place and then returned to the paddock without males.
- Timing of mating is known.
- Sire of cria is known.
- Valuable males do not waste energy inseminating the same female repeatedly, thus can be used to impregnate more females.
- Much time can be wasted if receptive but non-fertile females are presented for mating.
- When the male is with a herd of females, he can determine the best time for mating and immediately mate the most receptive females.
Stud Services
- One stud male can serve up to 40-60 females per year.
- Stud farms are common.
- Have stud males as a major source of income, selling services to breeders without a stud male.
- May involve transporting females to the stud farm, or in some cases leasing the male to inseminate many females.
The Mating Process
- Male will approach with tail held high, head and neck extended towards the female.
- Female should tolerate the approaching male.
- The male will 'orgle', the unique gutteral call of mating.
- Female will 'kush' (lie down) immediately or when he mounts her if she is receptive.
- Male positions himself tightly over her hind-quarters, with his forelimbs clasped around her chest.
- Copulation may last ~30 minutes.
- Sometimes the female lies down with her head outstretched, and occasionally will lie on one side.
- Male may dismount, reposition himself, and begin again. Occasionally he will get up and move away before recommencing.
Rejection
- Typically the female spits vigorously at the male to discourage his approach.
- Experienced stud males may be insistent, and if the female has enough space she will run from him.
- Receptive females may run initially, then allow themselves to be caught.
- Males are uninterested in non-receptive females.
- May sniff females of the herd in turn and ignore the non-receptive ones.
- Triggered by high progesterone levels in the female.
- With a persistent corpus luteum, she will continue to reject the male even if she is not pregnant.