Vet. faculty K. P.

Paudel
Semester VIII
VOG 421; Lecture 3

Growth, Puberty, Sexual Maturity in Relation to Reproduction

The reproductive life with regard to females includes all phenomenon and events such as attainment
of puberty and sexual maturity, estrous cycle, the breeding and pregnancy, post partum sexual
activity, senescence and aging. All these events of the reproductive cycle are regulated by
environmental, genetic, physiologic, hormonal, behavioral and psychosocial factors therefore
becomes very difficult to generalize for all categories of animals. The level of ability to reproduce
(fertility) gained at the time of puberty is maintained for several years (in large animals) before it
begins to gradually decline.
Growth: It is the physiological process of increasing body mass and is attained by increase in cell size
and number under the influence of growth hormone in general. The other hormones responsible for
general metabolism such as thyroxine have a great role in attaining the genetic potential of growth of
an individual animal and so has the role of nutrition.
Puberty: When a male or female animal has, for the first time during its growth, reached the stage of
being able to release gametes for reproduction, and meantime manifests complete sexual behavioral
sequences is said to have attained puberty. Puberty is basically the result of a gradual adjustment
between increasing gonadotropic hormonal activity (FSH and LH) and simultaneous response from
gonads to marked increase in steroidogenesis (secretion of estrogen and progesterone) and
gametogenesis. Therefore it could also be defined as the stage of appearance of first estrum and or
ovulation in females. Similarly the stage of physiological ejaculation of matured sperm that is able to
fertilize can be termed as attainment of puberty in males.
The time of onset of puberty is controlled by genetic and environmental factors. The major
physiological event that occurs just prior to puberty is that the metabolic process directed for general
growth deviates for reproductive functions and the CNS controls this deviation. The onset of puberty
is more closely related to body weight than the age. If overfeeding accelerates growth, the animal is
likely to reach puberty at a younger age, if underfeeding slows growth down; puberty is delayed
irrespective of the species.
The age of onset of puberty in female domestic animal depending on species and breeds varies greatly
and is reported to be as follows:
Cattle: 6 – 18 months dogs: 6 – 12 months
Horse: 10 – 24 months Swine: 5 – 8 months
Sheep: 6 – 12 months
Goats: 6 – 9 months
Sexual Maturity: Merely the onset of puberty does not establishment rhythm and cyclicity of the
reproductive cycle of an animal. Sexual maturity refers to the attainment of full capability of
reproducing in a regular rhythmic cyclicity after the attainment of puberty. For this each and every
organ of the reproductive system must be capable of discharging its physiological function for the
successful reproduction. For example a heifer expressing first estrum may not have attained its sexual
maturity in terms of size of its uterus or even body size. There is substantial time span between
attainment of puberty and the attainment of full capability of reproducing in a cyclic manner.

Estrous cycle: In all species of domestic animals that have reached puberty, there is a definite
physiologic rhythms of the reproductive system. The physiological events occurring in rhythms
(cyclic recurrence) in females between two estruses is refer to as an estrous cycle.

Pregnancy:
The period from conception to parturition is referred to as pregnancy. The regulation and maintenance
of pregnancy is dependent on the effect of progesterone and its negative feedback on the
hypothalamus for preventing further follicular growth and ovulation.
Some parameters on reproductive cycle of domestic animals

Species Estrous cycle Length of Time of Days Implantati Pregnancy

length estrus ovulation fertilized on (day length (days)
ovum comes post
to uterus fertilizati
on)
Cow 21 18 hour 12 hour after the four, post 35 – 42 280
end of estrus estrus
Ewe 17, seasonally 29 hour at the end of four, post 15 148
polyestrous estrus estrus
Sow 21 45 hour 24 - 36 hour 3 - 4 days 10 115
from the post mating
beginning of the
estrus
Mare 21, most 5.3 days 3 - 6th day of 56 335
seasonally estrus
polyestrous
Doe 20, seasonally 40 hour 33 hour after the 5 - 6th day 20 148
polyestrous beginning of
estrus
Bitch Seasonal pro estrus 2nd - 3 rd day of 5 - 6 day post 15 63
exhibits 9 days estrus mating
pseudopregna estrus 7 -
ncy 9 days
Cat seasonal 4 days induced 27 hour 4 after 13 63
exhibits post mating ovulation
Pseudopregna
ncy
Rabbit polyestrous not induced 10 - 15 4 post mating 8 32
exhibits defined hours post
pseudopregna mating
ncy

Patterns of estrous cycle:

Mono-estrous: manifesting only one estrous cycle in a year. examples are wild animals.
Polyestrous: exhibiting estruses throughout the year in cyclic rhythm. examples are cows, goats.
Seasonally polyestrous: exhibit estruses in cyclic rhythm in specific seasons. Examples are ewe,
mare, buffaloes (?)

Parturition:
The process of expulsion of fetus is referred to as parturition. The hormonal mechanisms include
secretion of excess amount of fetal cortisol once growth of the fetus is complete and physiological
period of pregnancy is completed. This fetal corticosteroid further induces secretion of PGF2 alpha,
estrogen, relaxin, oxytocin and ultimately the effect of these hormones results in parturition.

Post partum anestrus:

This is the period between parturition to appearance of first subsequent heat. This is associated with
resumption of ovarian activity after parturition.