Camelid Mating - Anatomy & Physiology

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Female

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.

Timing of Mating

Timing mating so that pregnancy is most likely to result is important to avoid wasting time, effort, expense, stud male energy and sperm supply.

• Female is presented to the male.
• If she is not pregnant, she will be expected to 'kush' to accept mating.
• Following mating she should reject the male by running or spitting.
• Unless she had an immature follicle at mating, thus did not ovulate, this process will happen for at least 5-6 days.
• As immature follicles mature, she may accept further mating in 2-3 days at which time ovulation may occur.
• If the follicle present at the time of mating was too mature, it will not have ovulated but will still have undergone luteinization.
• If ovulation took place, the normal progesterone-dominated luteal phase of 10-12 days follows.
• If there is no pregnancy, then a new follicular wave proceeds and the female becomes receptive again under the influence of oestrogen.
• Tease the female 3-6 days after a mating.
• If she rejects, tease again at 10-12 days after the original mating in case there was ovulation but no pregnancy.