Retained Hymen
Hank Kauffman

Question:
When we recently tried to breed a young female the male did not seem to be able to penetrate her. She is 24 months old and acts like she is ready to be serviced. What causes this?

Answer:
This sounds like your 2 year old female probably has a retained hymen.

We usually expect the hymen to atrophy in the female llama some where between six months and one year of age. There are however, some females that retain their hymen longer. I have actually seen a retained hymen in a three year old female.

It could also be a persistent hymen. The difference is a retained hymen is retained from birth and the persistent hymen female has a hymen that is not only retained from birth but has tissue that is substantial enough to grow back like any other tissue in the body after it has been reduced or opened.

According to Dr. David Anderson at The Ohio State University School of Veterinary Medicine, the cause of both a retained hymen and a persistent hymen may not be known but it is believed to be tied to hormonal changes with puberty. In other words, it is thought that with the normal hormonal changes the hymen in the young female will atrophy about the time the female is receptive to be bred. In the retained or persistent hymen this may not be the case.

These have been shown in people to be an inherited trait and is thought to be inheritable in cattle.

Reducing a retained hymen is relatively simple. Wearing vinyl gloves simply insert a finger in the vagina and a retained hymen can be felt and penetrated with the finger. If it can not be penetrated with a finger, a veterinarian should be consulted. A persistent hymen can be reduced but will usually grow back. In this case a medical evaluation is warranted.

The other possibility is that there may be a problem with the male. If you are using a young male it may simply be immaturity or the penis may not yet be separated from the sheath. Dr. Walter Bravo states that there is a direct relationship between penal separation and the production of sperm. In other words the male simply may not be old enough to breed.

Other male related possibilities may include a damaged penis or an accessory sex gland infection. We have experienced both over the years. Diagnostic observations include looking for blood after the male has finished breeding or observing to see if the male demonstrates pain or frustration while attempting to breed. With either of these situations, veterinarian evaluation is recommended.

In conclusion, a retained hymen in the young female is not unusual but the normal hymen should be atrophied by a little over one year of age. If this is a persistent problem in a female a medical evaluation should be considered.