Early sexual experience fails to enhance sexual performance in male goats

We studied the effects of early sexual experience on the adult sexual performance of male dairy goats. Seven postpubertal males were exposed to an estrous female on four occasions during their 1st yr of life. These males were housed with six additional males (controls) that received no early sexual experience. As yearlings, the 13 males were individually exposed to two estrous does for 30 min on three occasions at weekly intervals. Mounts with and without ejaculation were recorded. Sexually experienced and inexperienced males did not differ for either of these variables or a measure of mating efficiency (mounts per ejaculation). Mating efficiency improved for the experimental males during their four initial exposures to estrous females (P < .05). We conclude that male goats, in contrast to male sheep, are not likely to exhibit substandard sexual performance if denied heterosexual experience in their 1st yr.