Foster R A, Ladds P W, Hoffmann D, Briggs G D
Graduate School of Tropical Veterinary Science, James Cook University, Douglas, Townsville, Queensland.
Aust Vet J. 1989 Jan;66(1):20-2. doi: 10.1111/j.1751-0813.1989.tb09707.x.
Scrotal circumference (SC), testicular diameter (TD) and testicular weight (TW) were measured at necropsy of 148 Merino rams of varying age (yearling: 110, 2- to 3-year-old: 5, 4-year-old: 28, greater than 7-year-old: 5). These rams, although culled from flocks in north western Queensland for poor conformation or advancing age, had no clinically palpable or gross necropsy lesions of the genitalia. Despite the fact that SC measurement was performed at necropsy on scrota with greatly varying wool cover and its diverse content of plant material (burrs and grass seeds), the correlation of SC with TW was positive, high and significant (r = 0.92, P less than 0.01). This correlation was greater than that between TD and TW (r = 0.91, P less than 0.01) even though both were measured after dissection of the scrotal contents. The clinically convenient SC measurement deserves wider application as an estimate of testicular weight and therefore fertility in rams.
在对148只不同年龄的美利奴公羊进行尸检时，测量了阴囊周长（SC）、睾丸直径（TD）和睾丸重量（TW）（一岁：110只，2至3岁：5只，4岁：28只，7岁以上：5只）。这些公羊虽然因体型不佳或年龄增长而从昆士兰州西北部的羊群中淘汰，但生殖器没有临床可触及或尸检可见的病变。尽管阴囊周长测量是在尸检时对羊毛覆盖程度差异很大且含有不同植物物质（毛刺和草籽）的阴囊进行的，但阴囊周长与睾丸重量的相关性为正，高度显著（r = 0.92，P < 0.01）。即使两者都是在解剖阴囊内容物后测量的，这种相关性也大于睾丸直径与睾丸重量之间的相关性（r = 0.91，P < 0.01）。临床上方便的阴囊周长测量作为公羊睾丸重量进而生育力的估计值，值得更广泛应用。
