Qiang Bao, Yang Zhang, Ying Yao, Xuan Luo, Wenming Zhao, Jiwen Wang, Guohong Chen, Qi Xu
Mating behavior is a critically important component of poultry reproduction. Here, a total of 135 geese were selected, specifically, Sichuan white geese (), Zhedong white geese (), and Hungarian geese () (300-day-old), and the mating behavior was monitored daily from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. during the 20-day observation period. The results showed that the mating process included mounting, female cooperation, and successful copulation. Overall, the three breeds preferred mating on land. More than thirty percent of the mating time was primarily concentrated from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in domesticated geese from , the corresponding values for Sichuan white geese and Zhedong white geese were 32.0% and 33.3%, respectively. The mating of the Hungarian geese usually took place in the morning. In addition, the frequency of successful copulation of Sichuan white geese and Zhedong white geese were 2.31 and 1.94 times per day, significantly greater than that of Hungarian geese (0.89 times). Furthermore, a significant positive correlation between successful copulation and laying rates ( = 0.985) or fertilization rates ( = 0.992) was observed in Hungarian geese. Taken together, the mating behaviors among the different breeds were mainly reflected in time preference and successful copulation frequency.
