THYROID FUNCTIONS, TESTOSTERONE PROFILES AND PREPUTIAL MICROBES IN COW AND BUFFALO BULLS

Thyroid function, testosterone levels and preputial microbial load wer e studied in pubertal buffalo bull calves (n=7), mature buffalo bulls (n=8) and mature cow bulls (n=6). Thyroid hormones (T-3 and T-4) in pu bertal buffalo bull calves were comparable to breeding buffalo bulls a nd cow bulls, suggesting stable thyroids activity from puberty to sexu al maturity for initiation of pubertal endocrine and exocrine testicul ar functions. Testosterone profiles, however,were distinctly low in bu ffalo bulls/bull calves as compared to cow bulls (P<0.05) indicating s pecies variations and may be associated with poor libido of buffalo bu lls. A variety of microbes, mostly mixed infections, were harbouring t he preputial cavity of all categories of males, though slightly greate r incidence was recorded in-breeding cow bulls, while buffalo bull cal ves tended to be having relatively cleaner preputial cavity. Escherich ia coli was the most frequent isolate, and the rare occurrence of Kleb siella spp. in preputial washings was also recorded in the present stu dy.