Effects of group size and the male-to-female ratio on the sexual performance and aggressive behavior of bulls in serving capacity tests

The purpose of the following study was to determine the effects of group size and the male-to-female ratio on the sexual and aggressive behaviors of bulls in the context of serving capacity tests. Tests were administered to two groups of 13 and 14 polled Hereford bulls, respectively, under four test conditions in which the number of bulls and the ratio of males to females was varied. The test conditions were as follows: 1) individual tests (single males were exposed to single females), 2) small-group tests (three or four bulls:three females), 3) large-group tests (13 or 14 bulls:3 females), and 4) male-only test (13 or 14 bulls were placed in the test area in the absence of females). In addition, the sexual performance of 44 Hereford and 12 Angus bulls was compared when competing (small-group tests) vs not competing (individual tests) for females. Ejaculation rate (serving capacity) was similar in individual and small-group tests in which a male-to-female ratio of approximately 1:1 was maintained. Increasing the male-to-female ratio to approximately 4.5:1 enhanced levels of aggression and reduced overall sexual performance. Angus bulls were more aggressive than their Hereford counterparts when competing for females and exhibited lower (P less than .05) ejaculation rates in small-group tests than when evaluated individually. We concluded that the sexual performance of polled Hereford bulls can be reliably evaluated when tested in small groups as long as a 1:1 male-to-female ratio is approximated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)