A correlation of fecal volatiles and steroid hormone profiles with behavioral expression during estrous cycle of goat, Capra hircus

Abstract
Chemical signals (both volatile and non-volatile) form the major communication channels in animals. These signals are transferred mainly through excretory sources to facilitate inter-individual communication. In particular, the reproductive cycle of female mammals, including goats, exhibits significant changes in the constituents of their excretory products, and female mammals also express different behavioral patterns. We propose that feces is one of the important sources of chemo-signals in goats. However, the behavioral patterns and analysis of excretory sources based on chemical communication have not yet been studied in the Indian goat, Capra hircus. To validate our hypothesis, we analyzed the behavioral patterns and the volatiles and steroid hormone profiles in the feces samples of female goats during the estrous cycle. Here, we synchronized the estrous cycle in six female goats and obtained feces samples.
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Keywords
Veterinary Science, Livestock Production and Management
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