Plasma concentrations of testosterone and estrogen in emus during breeding season

Abstract

Emus (Dromaius novaehollandiae) are flightless birds that belong to the order ratite. They are not only seasonal breeders but also monogamous. It is important to understand the reproductive cycle and the hormones that regulate their reproductive patterns of the emus to control the breeding activity of the emu when reared under farmed conditions. Hence, an attempt was made to study the hormonal profile of the emus during the pre-breeding, breeding and post breeding seasons. Blood samples were collected from thirty apparently healthy emus (15 male and 15 female) of 5 to 6 years of age during the different the pre-breeding, breeding and post breeding seasons. Plasma was separated by centrifugation and stored in aliquots at - 20 °C till further analysis. Hormones such as testosterone and estradiol were analysed using the commercially available kits. The data was subjected to statistical analysis by one way Anova. The results indicated a significantly higher (p