We evaluated the effects of preconception and gestational obesity in the ewe on offspring growth, metabolism, and glucose homeostasis. From 60 d before conception through parturition, multiparous ewes were fed 100% (control; n = 8) or 150% (obese, OB; n = 10) of NRC (1985) recommendations. Ewes on the OB diet increased BW by 30% from diet initiation to mating (P = 0.03) and by 52% by d 135 of g...

Objectives were to estimate effects of sire breed (Dorset, Finnsheep, Romanov, Texel, and Montadale), dam breed (Composite III and northwestern whiteface), mating season (August, October, and December), ewe age (1, 2, and 3 yr), and their interactions on reproductive traits of F1 ewes. A total of 1,799 F1 ewes produced 3,849 litters from 4,804 exposures to Suffolk rams during 35-d mating season...

two experiments were performed to determine the effectiveness of different progestogens contained in intravaginal devices, different doses of ecg and subsequent hcg treatment on the reproductive performance of estrus-induced mature lori ewes. in the first experiment, 88 ewes were allocated into two groups, and were treated with either fluorogestone acetate (fga) sponges or controlled internal d...

Reproductive performance was evaluated in non-lactating crossbred ewes to which were administered the exogenous GnRH and PMSG. The ewes were randomly allocated in three treatment groups (n=40).After accurate detection of estrus and 2 hours prior to mating, 2.5 mL of distilled water and 2.5 mL of GnRH were injected intramuscular to each ewe of the first (control) and second group, respectively. ...

The aim of this survey was to evaluate the frequency of pregnant ewes slaughtered in Khorram Abadabattoir and estimation of their gestational age. Over a period of five months in fall and winter, a totalnumber of 3046 uterine tracts were collected. Pregnancy was detected in 56.50% of ewes, 52.36% and 4.13% of which carried singleton and twins, respectively. The highest frequency of pregnancy wa...

A study was conducted to evaluate relative resistance of Dorper crossbred (DO), Katahdin (KA), St. Croix (SC), and Hampshire (HA) ewes to natural and experimental gastro-intestinal (GI) nematode infection over a 20-month period. The objective of Experiment 1 was to evaluate breeds for resistance to infection acquired naturally from mixed grass pastures. In Year 1 (May-December 2000) de-worming ...

The objectives were to investigate effects of nutritional plane and Se supply during gestation on yield and nutrient composition of colostrum and milk in first parity ewes. Rambouillet ewe lambs (n = 84, age = 240 ± 17 d, BW = 52.1 ± 6.2 kg) were allocated to 6 treatments in a 2 × 3 factorial array. Factors included Se [adequate Se (ASe, 11.5 µg/kg of BW) or high Se (HSe, 77.0 µg/kg of BW)] ini...

BACKGROUND Preliminary studies indicated decreased glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity in blood of ewes on scrapie-afflicted farms. Other studies have shown decreased GPX activity in brain of prion-infected mice and in prion-infected cells in vitro. The aim of this study was to examine the GPX activity in blood as well as the distribution of GPX-activity levels from ewes on farms in scrapie-a...

The experiment involved 40 mid-lactating Comisana ewes. The animals were housed in straw-bedded pens and assigned to a control group (n = 10) and two test groups of 15 subjects each. Control ewes were never moved from their pen and peers throughout the experiment period, whereas test animals were subjected to either regrouping (RG) or regrouping and relocation (RGRL) three times at weekly inter...

Production and well-being of sheep and goats in many countries are harmfully impacted by small ruminant lentiviruses (SRLV) that cause incurable, progressive diseases. Susceptibility to ovine progressive pneumonia virus (OPPV), the North American form of SRLV, is influenced by variants of the ovine transmembrane protein 154 gene (TMEM154). The experimental objective was to estimate additive and...