Table 1.

Age-related variations in body weights, testicular and epididymal size estimates, and sperm counts in Nigerian Sahel goats.

Parameters	Age (months)			All goats (n = 66)	Range (Min.–Max.)
	18 (n = 14)	24 (n = 25)	30 (n = 27)
Body weight (kg)	14.00 ± 1.13a	16.67 ± 2.82b	18.74 ± 2.29c	17.04 ± 2.99	12.00–25.00
Sperm cell count (×109)
Cauda epididymal	1.68 ± 0.31a	1.68 ± 0.38a	2.34 ± 0.80b	1.94 ± 0.67	1.12–4.66
Testicular	0.14 ± 0.10a	0.15 ± 0.01a	0.27 ± 0.20b	0.23 ± 0.30	0.03–1.88
Scrotal size
Length (cm)	8.39 ± 0.68a	9.66 ± 2.32b	9.89 ± 0.61b	9.29 ± 0.91	7.50–11.00
Circumference (cm)	17.82 ± 0.67a	18.87 ± 1.22b	19.91 ± 1.01c	19.07 ± 1.29	17.00–21.80
Testicular size
Gonadosomatic index (g/kg)	2.85 ± 0.38a	3.43 ± 0.67b	3.98 ± 0.41c	3.51 ± 0.69	2.00–4.50
Weight (g)	39.58 ± 5.73a	56.30 ± 11.26b	74.34 ± 7.65c	59.90 ± 16.10	31.40–86.20
Longitudinal length (cm)	8.94 ± 0.68a	10.02 ± 1.07b	11.13 ± 0.79c	10.23 ± 1.20	7.80–12.90
Mid-circumference (cm)	10.23 ± 0.65a	11.36 ± 0.87b	12.71 ± 0.62c	11.57 ± 1.30	9.10–13.70
Epididymal size
Weight (g)	6.46 ± 1.17a	8.15 ± 1.53b	10.11 ± 0.69c	8.57 ± 1.82	4.60–11.70
Epididymal-testicular weight ratio (g/g)	0.16 ± 0.02a	0.15 ± 0.02a	0.13 ± 0.01b	0.15 ± 0.02	0.11–0.19
Epididymosomatic index (g/kg)	0.46 ± 0.08a	0.49 ± 0.10ab	0.54 ± 0.05b	0.51 ± 0.08	0.28–0.64

^a,b,cMeans ± standard deviation with different superscripts are significantly different (p < 0.05).