The effect of melatonin on the reproductive performance of three sheep breeds in Spain
نویسندگان
چکیده
In order to determine the efficacy of melatonin implants in initiating the lambing season and improving reproductive efficiency in sheep, ewes (n= 1932) from three breeds (Rasa Aragonesa, Assaf and Merino) received melatonin implants (Group M) every 45 days from the winter solstice (1 January and 15 February—winter; 1 April and 15 May—spring) on 12 commercial farms. The other group of ewes (n= 1715) served as control (Group C). Fertility (percentage of ewes lambed), litter size (number of lambs born per ewe lambed), and fecundity (number of lambs born per ewe in the group) were calculated. Rasa Aragonesa M ewes produced significantly more lambs than the C ewes on farms 3 and 4, after spring melatonin treatment: April (1.16 versus 0.83 lambs-fecundity; P< 0.01) and May (1.23 versus 0.97 lambs; P< 0.05) lambings, respectively. In the Assaf ewes, melatonin implants significantly improved fecundity on farms 5, 6 (winter): January (0.62 versus 0.42 lambs per ewe for M and C groups; P< 0.01) and February (0.64 versus 0.32 lambs; P< 0.01) lambings, respectively and on farm 8 (spring) for May (0.77 versus 0.54 lambs; P< 0.01). This improvement in fecundity is attributed exclusively to significantly higher fertility during these melatonin implantation periods. Concerning the Merino breed, the melatonin treatment increased fecundity only on farm 10, after winter treatment (February) (0.91 versus 0.61 lambs for M and C groups; P< 0.01). It can be concluded that melatonin could be a useful tool to improve lamb production in the three breeds under study, although its efficacy within each breed seems to vary according to the farm and season. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
منابع مشابه
Genetic Polymorphism of the Melatonin Receptor 1A Locus in Iranian Shall and Karakul Sheep
The genotypes of the melatonin receptor 1A (MTNR1A) were determined by PCR-RFLP in the native Iranian Shall and karakul breeds of sheep . Blood samples were collected from 60 karakul and 50 Shall breeds. Genomic DNA was extracted based on the Guanidin Thiocyanate-slica gel method. After PCR reaction, PCR products were digested by the Mnl1 restriction enzyme. The MTNR1A locus had two genotypes ...
متن کاملPolymorphism of the Melatonin Receptor 1A Gene and Its Association with Litter Size in Zel and Naeini Sheep Breeds
The influence of melatonin receptor 1A gene on litter size was studied in 150 ewes from Zel (n=100) and Naeini (n=50) sheep breeds. Two restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analyses were done to determine all genotypes occurring by variations at MnlI and RsaI restriction sites. The M and C were the most frequent alleles in both of these breeds. The MM genotype was predominant in Zel ...
متن کاملPolymorphism in FSHβ and FSHRGenes and Their Relationship with Productive and Reproductive Performance in Iran Black, Arman and BaluchiSheep Breeds
The objective of the present study was to detect polymorphism in follicle stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) and beta subunit of follicle stimulating hormone (FSHβ) genes and their relation to litter size and body weight trait in Baluchi, Iran black and Arman sheep breeds. PCR-RFLP technique using ACCI and HinfI enzyme treatments employed to detection of polymorphism in FSHβ marker site but de...
متن کاملEffect of Fat-Tail Docking on the Reproductive Performance in Ghezel and Mehraban Sheep
78 Ghezel and 76 Mehraban sheep were used to evaluate the effect of fat-tail docking on reproductive performance. Within two days after birth the tails of 32 Ghezel female lambs and 28 Mehraban female lambs were docked using a tight rubber ring. The lambs were allowed to reproduce for three lambing opportunities and their reproductive performances were evaluated. The effect of docking on the fe...
متن کامل