Effect of dominance-subordinate relationship and familiarity of an audience male on young rams' libido and semen characteristics

The purpose of this study was to investigate the range of circumstances under which the “audience effect” is expressed in rams, in particular, whether the dominance-subordinate relationship and familiarity of an audience male, influences young rams' libido and semen characteristics. To achieve this objective, semen from ten 10-month Katahdin rams was collected weekly in a vaginal collection vial, while the rams were exposed individually in each session to a dominant (familiar and unfamiliar) or subordinate (familiar and unfamiliar) male, or to no audience. Reaction time, semen volume, and sperm concentration were found to be similar (P > 0.05) in rams that were alone or in those that were being observed by an audience, regardless of the dominance-subordinate relationship or familiarity of the observer. The results of this experiment support the view that the presence and dominance-subordinate relationship of an audience regardless of their familiarity with the subject is irrelevant regarding the reaction time, semen volume, and sperm concentration of ram lambs during semen collection.