The genetic diversity of a microsatellite marker linked to MHC-DRB1 gene in German Merino sheep was studied and association of this marker with growth trait in German sheep was ascertained. This experiment constituted four consecutive lambing among seven Merinoland rams and 249 ewes and a total of 16 MHC-DRB1 microsatellite alleles were detected, ranging from 353 bp to 857 bp. For ewes carrying...

The effects of prolonged infusions of prolactin (PRL) into the third ventricle of the brain of cycling ewes on the secretory activity of hypothalamic GnRH neurons and pituitary LH cells in the pars distalis during the proestrous day were studied. Mature Blackhead ewes were infused with vehicle (control, n=5) or with prolactin (200 mug/day, n=5) during 4 consecutive days prior to the next sponta...

The 'ram effect' induced some seasonally anovular Southdown ewes (23%) to ovulate within 5 days of introducing Southdown rams on 10 December. Priming the ewes with medroxy progesterone acetate from intravaginal sponges for 12 days, immediately before the introduction of the rams, ensured that most of the ewes displayed oestrus at the ram-induced ovulation. The proportion of anovular ewes ovulat...

Objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of partial substitution of barley grain with bread by-product (BB) on performance of Awassi ewes and their lambs. Forty Awassi ewes rearing single lambs were randomly allotted into four experimental diets containing various levels of BB. The experimental diets contained 0 (BB0), 10 (BB10), 15 (BB15), and 20% (BB20) of BB on dietary dry mat...

1. Lactating grazing ewes, fistulated at the rumen and abomasum were either not supplemented or offered, individually, 600 g/d of either pelleted, molassed sugar-beet pulp ('energy' supplement) or a pelleted 1:1 (w/w) mixture of this feed and formaldehyde-treated soya-bean meal ('protein' supplement). Digesta flows at the abomasum were estimated from the concentrations of the markers CrEDTA and...

Data on 2087 lactations from 737 Chios ewes collected between 1978 and 1989, and 1611 lactations from 486 Damascus goats collected from 1982 to 1998 at the experimental station of the Agricultural Research Institute were utilized. The ewes were the progeny of 101 sires (mean sire family size 7.3) and the goats of 101 sires (mean sire family size 4.8). A mixed linear model that accounted for the...

Two studies were conducted to evaluate the relationship between serving capacity scores and breeding performance of rams. The first study was conducted to determine whether rams with above or below mean serving capacity scores could perform equally in greater and lesser breeding intensity, single-sire mating schemes. The second study was conducted to determine whether rams with above and below ...