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    <front>
        <journal-meta>
            <journal-id journal-id-type="publisher-id">VETZOO</journal-id>
            <journal-title-group>
                <journal-title>Veterinarija ir Zootechnika</journal-title>
            </journal-title-group>
            <issn pub-type="epub">2669-2511</issn>
            <issn pub-type="ppub">1392-2130</issn>
            <issn-l>2669-2511</issn-l>
            <publisher>
                <publisher-name>Veterinarija ir Zootechnika</publisher-name>
                <publisher-loc>Tilžės str. 18, Kaunas, LT-47181, Lithuania</publisher-loc>
            </publisher>
        </journal-meta>
        <article-meta>
            <article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id">VETZOO1264</article-id>
            <article-categories>
                <subj-group subj-group-type="heading">
                    <subject>Article</subject>
                </subj-group>
            </article-categories>
            <title-group>
                <article-title>Testicular and seminal characteristics of yearlingTazegzawt rams in eastern Algeria</article-title>
            </title-group>
            <abstract>
                <p>This study aimed to evaluate monthly variations in testicular measurements and semen characteristics in young Tazegzawt rams. Ten yearlings rams, aged of 11 months at the beginning of the experiment were monitored over a one-year period (January-December). Body weight (BW), scrotal circumference (SC), testis diameter (TD), testis length (TL), semen characteristics and sperm kinematic parameters were recorded monthly. 
Significant differences were observed among months of the year for body weight, testicular measurements and semen parameters (P&lt;0.05), whereas differences among individual rams were significant only for body weight and testicular traits. Testicular size was lowest from January to March and increased progressively from May to November reaching peak values in October and November, followed by slight decline in December. 
Semen volume and sperm concentration were lowest during winter and early spring, increased from late spring to  autumn, and reached maximum  values  in  December for semen volume (1.13 ml) and in October–November for sperm concentration (≈2.2 × 10⁹ spermatozoa/mL). Sperm motility showed marked seasonal variation, with minimal values in winter and early spring and maximal values (≈100%) recorded in September and October. Sperm velocity parameters peaked during late summer and autumn, indicating fast but mostly non-progressive motility. 
In conclusion, optimal semen quantity and quality in young Tazegzawt rams were observed from late spring through autumn, whereas reproductive performance declined during winter and early spring. These findings provide valuable information for the conservation and reproductive management of this endangered Algerian sheep breed.
</p>
            </abstract>
            <kwd-group>
                <label>Keywords</label>
                <kwd>Tazegzawt ram, semen quality, testicular measurements, seasonal variations</kwd>
            </kwd-group>
            <contrib-group>
                <contrib contrib-type="author">
                    <name>
                        <surname>Farid</surname>
                        <given-names>MOULLA</given-names>
                    </name>
                    <email xlink:href="mailto:faridmoulla67@gmail.com">faridmoulla67@gmail.com</email>
                    <contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid"/>
                    <xref ref-type="aff" rid="99ec600d-c927-407b-a41f-339eb1283a37"/>
                    <xref ref-type="corresp" rid="cor2">*</xref>
                </contrib>
                <aff id="99ec600d-c927-407b-a41f-339eb1283a37">
                    <institution>National Institute for Agronomic Research of Algeria (INRAA), PO Box 200, Hassen Badi</institution>
					<post>06000</post>,
                    <city>El Harrach</city>,
                    <country>Algeria</country>
                </aff>
                <contrib contrib-type="author">
                    <name>
                        <surname> Iguer-Ouada</surname>
                        <given-names>Mokrane</given-names>
                    </name>
                    <email xlink:href="mailto:imokrane@gmail.com">imokrane@gmail.com</email>
                    <contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid"/>
                    <xref ref-type="aff" rid="a69ed9bf-0d78-48e8-bafe-f8c145d3cf28"/>
                </contrib>
                <aff id="a69ed9bf-0d78-48e8-bafe-f8c145d3cf28">
                    <institution>Associated Laboratory in Marine and Aquaculture Ecosystems, Faculty of Natural and Life Sciences, Mira University of Bejaia</institution>
                    <country>Algeria</country>
                    <post>06000</post>
                </aff>
            </contrib-group>
            <history>
                <date date-type="received">
                    <day>11</day>
                    <month>12</month>
                    <year>2025</year>
                </date>
                <date date-type="rev-recd">
                    <day>15</day>
                    <month>01</month>
                    <year>2026</year>
                </date>
                <date date-type="accepted">
                    <day>30</day>
                    <month>01</month>
                    <year>2026</year>
                </date>
            </history>
            <permissions>
                <license license-type="openAccess" xlink:href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">
                    <license-p>Open access article under the CC BY license</license-p>
                </license>
            </permissions>
            <article-id pub-id-type="doi">252223</article-id>
            <fpage>5</fpage>
            <lpage>12</lpage>
            <issue-title content-type="ISSUE">Volumes 83, Issues 2, (2025): Veterinarija ir Zootechnika</issue-title>
            <volume>83</volume>
            <issue>2</issue>
            <pub-date iso-8601-date="2026-08-31"/>
            <pub-date pub-type="ppub">
                <year>2025</year>
            </pub-date>
        </article-meta>
    </front>
</article>
