St. Croix White hair sheep ewes were used to evaluate the effect of supplemental nutrition prior to breeding during the dry and wet seasons on St. Croix. Beginning 21 d prior to breeding ewes were fed supplement in addition to grazing guineagrass pasture (FEED). Other ewes in the flock grazed pasture only (CONTROL). This study was conducted during the dry (June and July) and wet seasons (Octobe...

Background: The Lori-Bakhtiari sheep breed is one of the most common native breed in the south-western parts of Iran. The peri-parturition period (2 weeks before to, 2 weeks after parturition), is generally of critical importance regarding the health, production and profitability of the ewes. OBJECTIVES: This study was carried out to compare the serum concentrations of glucose, non-esterified f...

In order to study the effects of sheep teat disorders on the protection of the mammary gland, we used a Mannheimia haemolytica isolate, which did not cause clinical mastitis when deposited into intact teats. In the first experiment, this was deposited into the duct of teats with orf (Group A, n=5) or papilloma (Group B, n=3). In the second, teats were chapped and then, the organism was deposite...

By using continuous infusions of 3H- and 14C-labelled substrates, three-pool models, incorporating rumen propionate, plasma glucose and blood carbon dioxide were constructed to determine the contribution of propionate to glucose in non-pregnant, pregnant (mid and late) and lactating hill ewes. Although the intakes of non-pregnant and pregnant ewes were the same (1200 g dried grass/d) and result...

The behaviour was similar in the ewes of the two breeds. When rams were introduced among ewes in the late summer and autumn, mating always commenced immediately, and most ewes mated within the first three to four weeks. On some occasions when rams were introduced in the spring, there was a delay before mating began; on most other occasions the initial rate of mating was rather low and in most i...

To determine similarities and differences between nonsuperovulated and superovulated ewe models, data collected from several experiments (1989 through 2005) were analyzed. Mature non-pregnant non-superovulated (n = 91) or superovulated (n = 299) Western range-type ewes were used for evaluation of luteal function. To induce superovulation, ewes were injected twice daily with FSH on days 13 to 15...

Range ewes are commonly evaluated for milking ability by producers to determine the ewe's ability to rear lamb(s). The U.S. Sheep Experiment Station has subjectively scored (low, average, high) a ewe's milking ability within 24 h of lambing for many years. The relationship of subjective milk scores with lamb production was investigated using lambing records of Columbia (n = 1,731), Polypay (n =...

St. Croix White and Barbados Blackbelly hair sheep ewes were used to evaluate the effect of supplemental nutrition around lambing on ewe and lamb performance during the wet season on St. Croix. Beginning 14 d prior to expected day of lambing (day 0) and for 21 d postpartum, 11 ewes were fed a pelleted complete ration (17% crude protein) at a level to provide 150% of the nutrient requirements, i...

A new mutation in the bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15) gene (FecX allele) causing increased prolificacy in heterozygous (R+) and sterility in homozygous ewes has been recently described in Rasa Aragonesa, a low-prolificacy Mediterranean breed. The current study determined, first, the effect of this polymorphism on natural and eCG-induced ovulation rate (OR) and the effect of eCG dose on re...

Ewes bearing more than 1 fetus are more susceptible to pregnancy toxemia than those with a single fetus. Crossbreeding programs in Israel increased the occurrences of ewes bearing more than 2 fetuses; therefore, the aim was to assess the exacerbation in the metabolic status of ewes pregnant with several fetuses. Fifty ewes, genetically developed to achieve multiple-fetus pregnancies, were monit...