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Mammary gland and its secretion around parturition show different changes. The objective of the study conducted here was to examine the changes in the physical and chemical properties of the milk before, during, and after lambing. A total of 40 local Iraqi breed ewes, 2 to 4 years-old, confirmed pregnant by B-mode ultrasonography was used in this study. Milk was collected from each study ewe at 3 consecutive times, (i) on day 135 of pregnancy, (ii) at the time of lambing, and (iii) on day 5 postpartum. Milk examinations included colour, consistency, density, specific gravity, chloride contents, pH, light transmittance percentage, and light extinction coefficient. Results indicated changes of colour and consistency during different study periods. Milk density and specific gravity decreased as ewes approached lambing time and started lactation. Milk pH was low at the time of lambing. Mean of light transmittance percentage became zero at the time of lambing and later. The light extinction coefficient increased at the time of lambing and later. In conclusion, although signs of parturition could be simply observed, changes in milk properties can prompt owners to closely observe ewes whether they have already lambed or not.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of age at first service ( 50), breeding season (all the year vs. specific season), housing system (shelter vs. grazing and shelter), manager education level ( 200), flock size ( 200) and their interactions on kidding, twining, abortion and stillbirth rates of Ardi goats in Saudi Arabia. Data were collected from 34 goat flocks containing 3700 heads. GLM procedures were used for analysis. The dependent variables in the model were lambing, twining, abortion, and stillbirth rates, while the main effects in the model were age at first service, male/females ratio, breeding season, housing system, manager education level, flock size, and worker/animals ratio. Barren does (n = 104) were examined for the causes of infertility. The results revealed that the means of kidding, twining, abortion and stillbirth rates were 91.5 ± 1.2%, 50.09 ± 5.24%, 3.5 ± 1.4% and 9.47 ± 2.2%, respectively. Does mated by or after 8 months had more twins than those mated before this age (P = 0.006). Flocks with male/females ratio of 1:>50 showed higher stillbirth rate (P = 0.01). Shelter-raised goats had a higher twining rate (P = 0.01) and a lower abortion rate (P = 0.001). Flocks raised in a shelter system with a worker/animal ratio of 1:100 had a higher kidding rate (P = 0.02) and lower abortion rate (P = 0.0001) than those with the same ratio but raised in a mixed grazing and shelter system. Flocks with managers with a ≥ secondary school education had a higher twining rate (P = 0.002). The most common findings in barren goats were pyometra, ovarian inactivity, abnormal vaginal discharges, and hydrometra. In conclusion, management has a profound effect on the reproductive performance of Ardi goats in Saudi Arabia and should be always considered when attempting to improve their production.

Our objective was to evaluate the effects of moderate overfeeding of different sources of metabolizable energy (ME) and protein (MP) on inflammatory status of sheep in late gestation and short-term growth performance of the offspring. A total of 32 healthy pregnant Zell ewes (2.5 ± 1 years old, 42.19 ± 1.65 kg body weight [BW]) were selected 7 weeks before lambing. After receiving a ten-day adaptation diet, eight ewes were randomly allocated to each of the four treatments including: 1) The adaptation diet that fulfills ME and MP requirements, according to the National Research Council's (NRC, 2007) recommendations for late pregnant ewes (CON); 2) A diet with 10% higher levels of ME than CON, using corn grain for extra ME (HEC); 3) A diet with 10% higher level of ME compared to CON, using flaxseed for additional ME (HEF); and 4) A diet with a 10% higher level of MP than CON, using a rumen-protected lysin and methionine supplement (RP-LysMet) to supply extra MP (PRO). After lambing, ewes continued their dietary treatments until 30 days postpartum; however, the content of ingredients were proportionally increased to meet the recommended levels of energy and protein for lactating ewes (NRC, 2007). Blood samples from the ewes were taken on days -21, -14, and -7 before parturition. Colostrum yield and components were determined, and lamb's BW and milk intake (MI) were measured weekly until 28 days of age. Other growth performance indexes were computed accordingly. Blood samples from the offspring were taken on days 15 and 30 of life. The data was analyzed using SAS software (SAS Institute Inc., 9.4). Compared with the CON, HEF-fed ewes were the only group that had lower levels of oxidative stress and blood inflammatory markers at -7 d before parturition (P 0.05). Concentrations of aminotransferases in CON-fed ewes were greater than other groups in late gestation (P ≤ 0.05). Offspring of HEF- and PRO-fed ewes had higher birth BW than lambs of the CON-fed group (3.71 and 4.11 vs. 3.01 ± 0.24, Kg for HEF, PRO, and CON, respectively). Except for week 2, lambs of CON-fed ewes had lower BW gain compared with the other offspring (P 0.01). Lambs of PRO-fed ewes had greater levels of plasma immunoglobulin G (IgG, days 15 and 30 of life; P 0.05) and MI (from week 2; P 0.001) than other groups. In conclusion, regardless of the source, moderate overfeeding of ME/MP was more beneficial for the immune status of late pregnant dams and the offspring's performance than non-overfed ones.

International audience; In sheep, the bond between the dam and her lambs is established during the first hours of a lamb's life. Genetic variability for behavioural reactivity of ewes assessed in an arena test performed 24 hr after lambing has already been reported. However, there is no evidence that this reactivity represents the ewe's maternal reactivity at lambing in outdoor conditions. The objective of this study was to investigate whether or not the behavioural reactivity of ewes in the arena test is genetically related to their maternal reactivity measured at lambing. A total of 935 Romane ewes were studied. The maternal reactivity of ewes at the outdoor lambing site was recorded in response to a human approach and to the handling of the lambs. Their behavioural reactivity was also recorded 24 hr post-lambing in the arena test that involved a separation from the litter and a human presence. Flight distance, aggressive reaction, time to restore contact with the litter, maternal behaviour scores and vocalizations recorded at the lambing site were heritable (0.12-0.34). All of these behaviours were genetically correlated with the behavioural reactivity in the arena test. The highest genetic correlations (from 0.60 to 0.90) were found amongst maternal behavioural scores, flight distance and high-pitched bleats. In conclusion, behavioural reactivity in the arena test can be used to assess early maternal reactivity in standardized conditions. Phenotyping of ewes' behavioural reactivity with a simplified arena test can be performed for genetic improvement in maternal behaviour in sheep.

Purpose: The objective of the present study was to compare the reproductive performance in synchronized and spontaneous estrus sheep raised under farm conditions. Subjects and Method: Two hundred Karadi and Two hundred Awassi were used in this study. Of each breed, 100 ewes were allowed to come in estrus spontaneously and the other 100 ewes were synchronized using intravaginal sponges (ESPONJAVET, HIPRA, Amer, Girona, SPAIN). Ewes were injected with intramuscular injection of 500 IU of PMSG when sponges were removed on day 14. Results: This study revealed that estrus synchronization had a higher rate of lambing (P=0.014), twining (P

Context For extensive production systems, crossbreeding may be a tool that can be used to achieve production of quality wool and meat to suit market specifications. Aims To evaluate two levels of crossbreeding of Dohne Merino (DM) sires with Corriedale (C) ewes on productive and reproductive traits of the crossbreed progeny in comparison with purebred C progeny. Methods Two studies using three genotypes – 100% C (100C), 50% DM × 50% C (50DM) and 75% DM × 25% C (75DM) – were carried out. In Study 1, growth, wool production and nematode resistance were evaluated (n = 1652). In wethers, carcass weight, subcutaneous tissue thickness, weight of high value cuts, meat shear force and fresh meat colour were also evaluated. Before first mating, the presence and number of corpus luteum was recorded to evaluate puberty and ovulation rate, respectively, in 380 18-month-old hoggets. In Study 2, fertility, prolificacy and lambing percentages were measured in 382 ewes. Key results Increasing the percentage of DM was associated with heavier animals (P 0.05) by genotype, whereas prolificacy and lambing percentage were greater in the animals of the 50DM vs 100C and 75DM (P

Ovine pre-partum vaginal prolapse (known as bearings in sheep) occurs within a few weeks prior to lambing and unless treated both ewes and unborn lambs will die. It is a worldwide problem with no clear aetiology. Rates of prolapse in New Zealand typically vary from 0.1 to 2% per annum, varying between seasons and farms. In order to determine preclinical changes leading to prolapse, blood samples were collected prior to prolapse occurring and analysed for changes in both protein and specific hormone and vitamin levels. 650 ewes were ear tagged and blood samples were taken one month prior to the beginning of lambing; 28 of these ewes subsequently prolapsed. Using an improved proteomic method plasma samples were subjected to 2D DIGE (two dimensional differential in gel electrophoresis) to determine if there were differences between the pre-prolapse and non-prolapsing ewes. Acidic isoforms of haptoglobin, a major acute phase protein in ruminants, increased approximately 3-fold in ewes prior to prolapse occurring. Total haptoglobin quantitation was confirmed with an independent assay. Although another plasma protein, α-1B-glycoprotein, was down regulated close to prolapse, the biological significance of this is unknown. While vitamin D levels were not associated with subsequent prolapse there was, however, a negative correlation between cortisol and days to prolapse from sampling (r2 = 0.36); i.e. ewes sampled closest to prolapse had higher plasma cortisol concentrations than controls. This raises the possibility that the ewes which prolapsed may have been suffering from chronic stress. Further research is needed.

The study was conducted to characterize the husbandry practices, phenotypic characteristics and determination of live body weight using morphometrical measurements of indigenous sheep types under smallholder management condition in highlands of Gurage zone, Southern Ethiopia. Two districts, Gumer and Ejha were selected purposely based on sheep population distribution, flock size and their contribution to the farmers. Questionnaire survey was used to collect data from 156 households of smallholder farmers who own sheep. Qualitative trait, live body weight and body measurement were taken from a total of 402 indigenous sheep. Live body weights were also associated and predicted using linear body measurements. The mean flock size owned per household was 5.20 and 4.40 sheep at Gumer and Ejha district, respectively. In both districts generating income was the main purpose of sheep rearing followed by saving, meat consumption and manure. Natural pasture and crop residue were found to be the major sources of feed during wet and dry seasons. The main constraints of sheep production were feed scarcity, disease prevalence, market price fluctuation and water shortage. The overall mean age at first lambing and lambing interval were (13.8± 0.4) and (8.3± 0.15) months, respectively, while mean litter size was 1.5head. The majority of sheep were characterized by patchy color pattern and the combinations of brown and / or black and /or white color type which is locally called it “Gerebet”. The overall mean live body weight of male and female sheep was 28.3 and 23.4 kg, respectively. Gumer sheep population had significantly higher linear body measurements (P

Context In extensive grazing sheep systems, pregnant ewes undergo periods of undernutrition because gestation coincides with winter when natural pasture is of lowest quantity and poorest quality. The lamb’s weight and thermoregulatory capacity, and the ewe–lamb bond at birth, may be compromised. Maternal melatonin treatment during gestation may reverse these effects. Aim The aim was to determine the effects of melatonin treatment of single-lambing, undernourished ewes during the last third of gestation on lamb birthweights and body temperatures, and on ewe–lamb interactive behaviour after birth. Methods At Day 100 of gestation, 39 single-bearing ewes received a subcutaneous melatonin implant, and 54 ewes served as controls with no implant. Throughout gestation, the ewes remained under extensive conditions grazing on natural pasture. Measurements were made of lamb birthweight, body temperatures (surface temperature by infrared thermography and rectal temperature), and ewe–lamb behaviours during a handling test at 6–17 h after lambing. Key results There was no effect of melatonin treatment on lamb birthweight or rectal temperature, or on ewe–lamb interaction behaviours. Hip minimum surface temperature was greater in lambs from melatonin-treated ewes than lambs from control ewes (21.2°C ± 0.9°C vs 18.8°C ± 0.8°C; P = 0.05), and there was a similar trend for hip mean surface temperature (24.6°C ± 0.9°C vs 22.3°C ± 0.7°C; P = 0.06). Rump surface temperatures were greater in male than female lambs: maximum (27.9°C ± 1.2°C vs 22.9°C ± 1.2°C; P = 0.01), minimum (22.2°C ± 1.5°C vs 16.7°C ± 1.5°C; P = 0.02) and mean (25.4°C ± 1.3°C vs 20.5°C ± 1.3°C; P = 0.02). Conclusion Melatonin treatment during the last third of ewe pregnancy slightly enhanced the surface temperature of lambs at birth but did not influence ewe–lamb interaction behaviour after birth (i.e. after establishment of the ewe–lamb bond). Implications Further study in more depth is warranted into the possible effects of maternal supplementation with commercial melatonin implants on lamb development, thermoregulatory capacity, behaviour and survival rates in extensive grazing systems, including the effect on ewe–lamb behaviours immediately after birth for both singletons and twins.

Ewe deaths affect the productivity and profitability in sheep farming systems and have potential animal welfare and market perception implications. Internationally, there is scant data on the timing and causes of ewe deaths in extensive grazing systems. There is no published literature on the incidence and risk factors associated with casting (ewe in late gestation accidentally immobilised, often in dorsal recumbency). This study, undertaken using a cohort of 1789 ewes on a New Zealand farm, reports on the timing and risk factors associated with production parameters for ewe deaths through an almost two-year period, along with causes of death during both peripartum periods. Ewe deaths occurred throughout both years but were most frequent during the peripartum (pre-lambing to mid-lactation) period. Casting was the most commonly identified cause of death in both years, responsible for approximately a quarter to a third of potential annual mortality. Few risk factors for death or casting were identified. In conclusion, the peripartum period is a high-risk time period for ewe deaths (and, by extension, will also contribute to lamb perinatal mortality). In extensively grazed flocks where casting events occur, it is recommended that all ewes are monitored daily during the peripartum period.

Context Australian sheep breeding values (ASBVs) for the categorical trait of lambing ease are routinely estimated by Sheep Genetics via a threshold model. This has been pedigree-only, and has not utilised genomic information. Aim The present study aimed to update the genetic evaluation model and parameters for lambing ease for terminal sire sheep (dominated by White Suffolk and Poll Dorset breeds). The model includes correlations with birthweight and gestation length. Cross-validation was used to determine the value of the improved models and the inclusion of genomic information. Methods New data-preparation pipelines were developed to accommodate improved data-filtering methods and contemporary group construction. Genetic parameters, including correlations among traits, were estimated using continuous and threshold models, with various combinations of effects in mixed animal models. Cross-validation of breeding values was performed against progeny performance, by using forward prediction. Key results The increased volume of data, improved data preparation steps and enhanced evaluation software now allow a more complex model to be fitted, including maternal, sire by flock-year and genetic group effects, which were significant for all traits, along with the inclusion of multiple sire groups in the pedigree. However, the inclusion of the direct-maternal covariance and sire by flock-year terms resulted in unrealistically inflated estimates of some components, and thus the final covariance matrices required some adjustments. Cross-validation of breeding values was performed against progeny performance using forward prediction. For all traits, the phenotype accuracies and estimated breeding value correlations were higher from the new model without genomics than were those from the current routine evaluation. The benefit from including genomic information based on cross-validation is minimal currently but is expected to improve as the size of the reference population grows. Further work is required to define acceptable data-quality thresholds for the construction of datasets for routine breeding value estimation. Conclusions The new model and parameters resulted in ASBVs with an improved predictive ability, with increased accuracy and reduced bias compared with the current analysis. Furthermore, a small increase in accuracy was observed for all traits from utilising genomic information in the model. Implications The new genetic evaluation procedures and models will be used to update those being applied in the routine Sheep Genetics evaluation system and also support further index development for the terminal sire breeds in Australia.

A respiratory disease epizootic at the National Bison Range (NBR) in Montana in 2016–2017 caused an 85% decline in the bighorn sheep population, documented by observations of its unmarked but individually identifiable members, the subjects of an ongoing long‐term study. The index case was likely one of a small group of young bighorn sheep on a short‐term exploratory foray in early summer of 2016. Disease subsequently spread through the population, with peak mortality in September and October and continuing signs of respiratory disease and sporadic mortality of all age classes through early July 2017. Body condition scores and clinical signs suggested that the disease affected ewe groups before rams, although by the end of the epizootic, ram mortality (90% of 71) exceeded ewe mortality (79% of 84). Microbiological sampling 10 years to 3 months prior to the epizootic had documented no evidence of infection or exposure to Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae at NBR, but during the epizootic, a single genetic strain of M. ovipneumoniae was detected in affected animals. Retrospective screening of domestic sheep flocks near the NBR identified the same genetic strain in one flock, presumptively the source of the epizootic infection. Evidence of fatal lamb pneumonia was observed during the first two lambing seasons following the epizootic but was absent during the third season following the death of the last identified M. ovipneumoniae carrier ewe. Monitoring of life‐history traits prior to the epizootic provided no evidence that environmentally and/or demographically induced nutritional or other stress contributed to the epizootic. Furthermore, the epizootic occurred despite proactive management actions undertaken to reduce risk of disease and increase resilience in this population. This closely observed bighorn sheep epizootic uniquely illustrates the natural history of the disease including the (presumptive) source of spillover, course, severity, and eventual pathogen clearance., This case report provides unprecedentedly detailed animal observations before, during, and after a severe bighorn sheep pneumonia outbreak and includes molecular detection of the causative primary pathogen, Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae, in its putative source, a nearby domestic sheep operation. As a result, this case report serves to advance our understanding of critical aspects of this important disease.

This study was conducted to determine temperament and maternal care classes, CYP17 gene polymorphisms, and cortisol status of a group of Norduz ewes. Additionally, the relationships between these factors, their effects on lambs survival and growth characteristics were investigated. A total of 72 ewes were subjected to arena and isolation box tests to determine their temperament classes. The distance the ewe retreated from the lamb during tagging was utilized to assess ewe maternal care classes. Ewes were genotyped for CYP17 628 SNP. Blood samples were collected between lambing and weaning to measure cortisol concentrations of ewes. The survival and growth data for the lambs of these ewes were recorded until weaning. Two temperament (low reactive and high reactive) and 2 maternal care classes (strong and moderate) were present. Two CYP 17 SNP 628 alleles (A and G) and 3 genotypes (AA, AG, and GG) were identified. For the distribution of CYP17 genotype frequencies within the population, the temperament or maternal care classes were not different (P > 0.05). The temperament of ewes did not affect maternal care in our flock. Positive partial correlations between cortisol and total cross, distance to stimulus, and sniffing were determined (P 0.05). Although there was no significant relationship among CYP17 genotype, maternal care, and lamb survival and growth, the effect of CYP17 genotype on some behavioral traits and cortisol release was found to be significant. Further studies with larger animal populations are required to elucidate the possible use of CYP17 SNP 628 genotypes as genetic markers for temperament classification.

Objective: The objectives of the study were to evaluate reproductive performance and selection response through genetic trend of community-based breeding programs (CBBPs) of Bonga sheep.Methods: Reproduction traits data were collected between 2012 and 2018 from Bonga sheep CBBPs. Phenotypic performance was analyzed using the general linear model procedures of Statistical Analysis System. Genetic parameters were estimated by univariate animal model for age at first lambing (AFL) and repeatability models for lambing interval (LI), litter size (LS), and annual reproductive rate (ARR) traits using restricted maximum likelihood method of WOMBAT. For correlations bivariate animal model was used. Best model was chosen based on likelihood ratio test. The genetic trends were estimated by the weighted regression of the average breeding value of the animals on the year of birth/ lambing.Results: The overall least squares mean±standard error of AFL, LI, LS, and ARR were 375± 12.5, 284±9.9, 1.45±0.010, and 2.31±0.050, respectively. Direct heritability estimates for AFL, LI, LS, and ARR were 0.07±0.190, 0.06±0.120, 0.18±0.070, and 0.25±0.203, respectively. The low heritability for both AFL and LI showed that these traits respond little to selection programs but rather highly depend on animal management options. The annual genetic gains were –0.0281 days, –0.016 days, –0.0002 lambs and 0.0003 lambs for AFL, LI, LS, and ARR, respectively.Conclusion: Implications of the result to future improvement programs were improving management of animals, conservation of prolific flocks and out scaling the CBBP to get better results.

The postpartum ovarian cyclicity which is associated with uterine involution has significant importance in fertility of sheep. The study was conducted to estimate the postpartum resumption of ovarian cyclicity in Lohi sheep during winter lambing season. Twelve pregnant ewes were selected. The commencement of ovarian cyclicity was investigated in postpartum ewes by estimating progesterone (P4) concentration in blood samples collected on weekly intervals starting from day of parturition till 12th week of postpartum. On the day of parturition, mean P4 concentration was 0.38 ± 0.08 ng / mL. After that, P4 level raised to 0.70 ± 0.13 and 0.83 ± 0.13 ng / mL during 1st and 2nd weeks respectively. During 3rd week, P4 concentration was 1.02 ± 0.18 ng / mL (ovulation). The peak P4 level during first estrous cycle was 3.02 ± 0.8 ng / mL and detected on 5th week. Second ovulation was observed during 6th week and again peak P4 concentration of 2nd cycle was found as 2.5 ± 0.64 ng / mL on 7th week. Based upon the hormonal profile, it was concluded that postpartum ovarian cyclicity resumed on 3rd week of postpartum in winter lambed Lohi sheep.

The purpose of the research was to develop a method for increasing the meat productivity of sheep under various housing systems. Methods. All studies were conducted according to generally accepted methods. The experimental population of rams of the control and experimental groups was kept until the age of 3 months together with ewes on the pasture (suckling period) with further weaning at the age of 3 months. Further, the rams were divided according to the technologies of keeping: the control group – pasture (graziery), and the experimental group – indoor maintenance (fattening) up to 4 months of age, followed by control slaughter. Monthly weighing of the experimental young rams livestock was carried out. Results. The research work showed that the use of this technological method significantly contributed in increasing average gain and live weight, respectively, by 6.6 % (20 g) and 5.7 % (2.3 kg) and as a result, slaughter weight – by 9.2 % (1.6 kg) in young rams from the experimental group in comparison with analogues of the control group. Chemical, amino acid and microstructural analyses of samples of the longissimus of the livestock showed that the specimens of the young rams of the experimental group had the best food and market advantages. The efficiency of using this technological method is also confirmed by the calculated economic indicators – the difference in the level of profitability was 7.9 % in favor of the rams of the experimental group. The scientific novelty of the research work is a detailed study of the indicators of meat productivity under the influence of this technological method with the justification of its application and the introduction of both scientific and practical contributions to the development of sheep farming.

Background Litter size is an important factor that significantly affects the development of the sheep industry. Our previous TMT proteomics analysis found that three key proteins in the ovarian steroidogenesis pathway, STAR, HSD3B1, and CYP11A1, may affect the litter size trait of Small Tail Han sheep. Objective The purpose of this study was to better understand the relationship between polymorphisms of these three genes and litter size. Material and Method Sequenom MassARRAY detected genetic variance of the three genes in 768 sheep. Real‐time qPCR of the three genes was used to compare their expression in monotocous and polytocous sheep in relevant tissues. Finally, bioinformatics analysis predicted the protein sequences of the different SNP variants. Result Association analysis showed that there was a significant difference in litter size among the genotypes at two loci of the CYP11A1 gene (p 0.05). However, STAR expression was significantly different in polytocous and monotocous sheep in the pituitary (p T mutation of CYP11A1 resulted in major changes to the secondary and tertiary structures. In contrast, gene polymorphisms in STAR and HSD3B1 had minimal impacts on their protein structures. Discussion This may explain why the CYP11A1 variant impacted litter size while the others did not. The single nucleotide polymorphism of the CYP11A1 gene would serve as a good molecular marker when breeding to increase litter size in sheep. Our study provides a basis for further revealing the function of the ovarian steroidogenesis pathway in sheep reproduction and sheep breeding., It was speculated that the single nucleotide polymorphism of the CYP11A1 gene was a potential molecular marker to increase the litter size of sheep. It provided a basis for further revealing the function of ovarian steroidogenesis pathway in sheep reproduction and sheep breeding.

Data of the current stud, were collected on 32 Iraqi native sheep aged 2-5 years maintained on commercial flock. At lambing, the 32 ewes were divided into two equal groups, lambs in the 1st group were left with their dams till weaning and then were milked twice daily till they dry off (Continuous), whereas the 2nd group, lambs were separated at night for 12 hr. and the ewes were milked once daily at morning (Restricted). Then each main group was subdivided into two group to be weaned their lambs when they reached 3 or 4 times of their birth weight (WB1 and WB2). Results revealed that ewes of restricted suckling produced significantly (P < 0.05) more post weaning (80.80 vs.49.44 L), total milk yield (135.01 vs. 109.94 L) and sealable milk (99.86 vs. 49.44 L) and had significantly longer lactation period (169.3 vs. 140.2 days) compared ewes in continuous suckling. Also, results obtained indicate that daily gain in weight averaged 0.23 kg from birth to weaning and from birth to marketing and 0.24 kg from weaning to marketing and neither suckling system nor weaning weight affected these trait significantly. It can be concluded that restricted suckling resulted in an increase in sealable milk without any adverse effect on growth of lambs.

Lamb survival is an important welfare and productivity issue for sheep industries worldwide. Lower lamb survival has been reported for primiparous ewes, but the causes of this are not well studied. The aim of this study was to determine causes of perinatal deaths for lambs born to primiparous ewes in Western Australia, and identify if infectious diseases are implicated. Lamb mortality from birth to marking were determined for 11 primiparous ewe flocks on 10 farms in Western Australia. Lamb mortality from birth to marking averaged 14% for single-born and 26% for multiple-born lambs. Lamb necropsies (n = 298) identified starvation–mismosthering–exposure (34%), dystocia (24%) and stillbirth (15%) as the most common causes of perinatal lamb death. There was no evidence of exotic abortigenic pathogens in aborted and stillborn lambs (n = 35). Chlamydia pecorum was detected by qPCR in 15/35 aborted and stillborn lambs on 5/6 farms. Preliminary molecular characterisation of C. pecorum detected in samples from aborted and stillborn lambs (n = 8) using both Multilocus Sequence Typing and ompA genotyping indicated all strains were genetically identical to previously described pathogenic livestock strains, denoted ST23, and dissimilar to gastrointestinal strains. High frequency of detection of a pathogenic C. pecorum strains ST23 associated with ovine abortion and stillbirth on multiple farms located across a wide geographic area has not been previously reported. Chlamydia pecorum may contribute to reproductive wastage for primiparous sheep in Western Australia. Further investigation to understand C. pecorum epidemiology and impact on sheep reproduction is warranted.

The aim of this study was to identify genomic regions underlying milk production traits in the Valle del Belice dairy sheep using regional heritability mapping (RHM). Repeated measurements for milk yield (MY), fat percentage and yield (F% and FY) and protein percentage and yield (P% and PY), collected over a period of six years (2006-2012) on 481 Valle del Belice ewes, were used for the analysis. Animals were genotyped with the Illumina 50k SNP chip. Variance components, heritabilities, and repeatability within and across lactations were estimated, fitting parity, litter size, season of lambing, and fortnights in milk, as fixed; and additive genetic, permanent environment within and across lactations, flock by test-day interaction, and residual as random effects. For the RHM analysis, the model included the same fixed and random effects as before, plus an additional regional genomic additive effect (specific for the region being tested) as random. While the whole genomic additive effect was estimated using the genomic relationship matrix (GRM) matrix constructed from all SNPs, the regional genomic additive effect was estimated from a GRM matrix constructed from the SNPs within each region. Heritability estimates ranged between 0.06 and 0.15, with repeatabilities being between 0.14 and 0.24 across lactations and between 0.23 and 0.39 within lactation for all milk production traits. A substantial effect of flock-test-day on milk production traits was also estimated. Significant genomic regions at either genome-wide (P

Context Dual-purpose crops (for grazing and grain) are an important part of the feedbase in mixed farming systems in the medium-rainfall zone of southern Australia. On these farms, non-wool sheep breeds such as the Dorper may provide an opportunity to increase lamb production while reducing labour costs compared with traditional sheep breeds. Aims This study was designed to compare lamb production systems based on White Dorper and Merino ewes joined to a terminal sire, while exploiting a feedbase that included dual-purpose crops. Methods Two experiments were conducted at Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, during 2013 (Expt 1) and 2014 (Expt 2). In February in both experiments, White Dorper ewes were joined to either White Dorper or White Suffolk rams (lambs designated DD and WSD, respectively), and Merino ewes were joined to White Suffolk rams (lambs designated WSM). In Expt 1 a dual-purpose wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) crop was established and the paddock subdivided into nine plots (0.93 ha each). Pregnant ewes were allocated to plots on the basis of genotype (DD, WSD or WSM grazing separate plots) after blocking for number of fetuses identified at mid-pregnancy scanning, with three replicates based on genotype. Lambing commenced on 28 June, and ewes grazed the crop from 27 June to 14 August and then continued to graze in the same groups on a lucerne (Medicago sativa L.)–clover (Trifolium spp.) pasture subdivided into nine plots (2.1 ha), maintaining the same replicates until weaning on 2 October. In Expt 2, the cropping paddock was subdivided into six plots (1.86 ha each) sown to either dual-purpose wheat or canola (Brassica napus L.), with three replicates. Lambing commenced on 13 July. Merino and White Dorper ewes grazed the crops concurrently from 19 June to 12 August, and then lucerne–clover pasture until weaning on 29 September. In both experiments a mineral supplement was fed to ewes grazing wheat during the crop-grazing period. Key results Feed on offer was low (0.33 t/ha) in dual-purpose wheat crops at the start of grazing in Expt 1 and did not differ among genotypes at the cessation of grazing crops. Feed on offer was higher in wheat than canola at the commencement of grazing in Expt 2 (2.6 vs 2.3 t/ha; P = 0.009), and a higher stocking rate was maintained on wheat than canola from the start of lambing. White Dorper ewes maintained a higher body condition score than Merino ewes throughout both experiments. In Expt 2, some ewes had serum magnesium and calcium levels below the normal range, and a high number of ewes (20%) required assistance at lambing. Number of lambs weaned per ewe scanned pregnant was similar among genotypes in both experiments. WSD lambs were heaviest (P < 0.05) at weaning and DD lambs had greatest (P < 0.05) fat depth over the eye muscle at weaning. Conclusions and implications When grazed on a feedbase typical of mixed farms in the medium-rainfall zone of southern NSW, White Dorper ewes were in higher body condition than Merino ewes; however, reproductive rates were similar. Joining White Dorper ewes to a terminal sire may increase weaning weight of lambs compared with joining to a White Dorper ram, or a Merino maternal system.

The subject of the current research was to calculate profitability and economic values of production and functional traits in sheep of Bulgarian dairy synthetic population, reared at the Agricultural Institute – Stara Zagora. The study period was 7 years (2010-2016) and the average annual number of ewes in the flock was 188. The semi-intensive production system practised involved winter indoor lambing and summer grazing on pasture. Data were processed using the Program for calculating economic weights for sheep EWSH2. Profit and profitability in the flock had negative values – (-52.70 BGN) and -19.3%. Marginal economic values of the most important traits in dairy sheep – milk production and number of lambs born per ewe were estimated to 0.707 BGN per liter and 65.40 BGN per lamb, respectively. Litter size, milk yield, conception rate of ewes and ewe lambs and productive lifetime of ewes showed the highest economic importance. A very low economic weight was calculated for the wool production due to the market prices of wool. Conception rate of female animals and productive lifetime of ewes need to be more thoroughly investigated, as they are not currently an object of selection in dairy sheep breeding. Achieving competitive and economically sustainable productive systems in sheep farming is associated with a constant desire to increase the economic value of animals.

Introduction The aim of the study was to determine how the spread of contagious agalactia in sheep and goats in the Odesa region depended on the age of the animals and the season. Material and Methods From January 2016 to December 2018, 1,964 ewes and 1,484 nanny goats of different age groups were studied by ELISA for antibodies to Mycoplasma agalactiae. Results The highest incidence of contagious agalactia was registered in one-year-old animals and was 59.7‒83.0%, two-year-old ruminants showed 17.0‒40.3% prevalence, in livestock at the age of 3–4 years no serological evidence of the disease was registered and in ewes and nanny goats older than 5–6 years 1.5–3.6% were infected. The most susceptible were young animals at the age of one-month (11.6‒14.5%). The first peak of the disease was recorded in March‒April (21.0‒26.1%), in the lambing period, which coincided with the beginning of lactation and the suckling period, and the second peak occurred in June–July (28.9‒34.2%), the period of maximum lactation and of manual milking of sheep and goats. Conclusion The results of serological investigations indicate the circulation of M. agalactiae in small ruminants in the south of Ukraine. To avoid greater dissemination of the pathogen, appropriate measures should be applied and strategies for its control need to be drawn up.

This work was conducted to study effect of supplementary feeding at different reproductive stages on birth characteristics and pre weaning growth performance of lamb born to desert sheep (Hamari subtype) raised on natural range in West Kordofan State, Sudan. Ninety ewes of similar age and live weight were used in the study. Ewes were divided into three feeding group of 30 animals each. Group A was given concentrate supplement for one month before mating, one month during mating, and one month before lambing; group B was given the supplement for one month during mating and one month before lambing, while group C was left as a control group kept on natural grazing. The concentrate diet consisted of sorghum grains 15 %, groundnut cake 20 %, molasses 15 %, wheat bran 25 %, groundnut hulls 23 %, salt 1 % and 1 % limestone, and was offered at a rate of 500 gm./ewe/day. All animals were allowed to graze on natural range and were watered every 2-3 days. The result indicated that birth weight in general and that of ram lambs was heavier in concentrate supplemented ewes. Although there was no significant difference between supplemented and grazing ewes on pre-weaning growth rate of their lambs yet lambs born to non-supplemented ewes had lower total live weight gain. It is recommended that feed supplementation and range improvement programs are needed as water harvesting and reseeding of range lands to reduce stress of long journies searching for water and forage, to improve productive performance of sheep and pre-weaning growth of their lambs.

Article Details: Received: 2020-10-14 | Accepted: 2020-11-27 | Available online: 2021-01-31 https://doi.org/10.15414/afz.2021.24.mi-prap.75-79 In this study we observed the effect of peroral and parenteral supplementation of Selenium (Se) and vitamin E (VTE) on the selected antioxidant parameters in blood and on the incidence of mastitis in ewes after the first lambing. Of the 350 sheep of Improved Walachian and Lacaune breeds, situated in eastern Slovakia under standard zootechnical and animal hygiene conditions, we selected thirty one-year-old ewes before their first lambing. The ewes were divided into three groups according to the method of supplementation of Se and VTE. The blood samples from vena jugularis were collected on day 30 before lambing (control sampling) and on days 3 and 30 after lambing. Ewes were checked for mastitis on days 10 and 30 after lambing. On the day of the control sampling the ewes from the B1 group were perorally supplemented with 0.3 mg Se/kg/DM in the form of Na2SeO3 and 50 IU/vitamin E/kg/DM, while ewes from the B2 group were injected subcutaneously Se with VTE at a dose of 6.6 mg/Se and 1,000 IU/VTE. Changes in the concentration of Se and VTE in the blood plasma of ewes were determined only in the perorally supplemented group (B1) on day 3 after lambing. At 30 days after lambing the the incidence of mastitis in this group was half as lower (10%) as in the control group (20%). Keywords: sheep, mastitis, supplementation, glutathione peroxidase, selenium, bacteria References Cohen, RD a kol. (1991). Ucinky parenteralnej suplementacie tehotných hovadzich krav selenom / vitaminom E na selen kravy a teľaťa a produktivitu. Konzerva. Vet. Jour . 32,113-115. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17423734 Gresakova, L. a kol. (2013). Retencia selenu u jahniat kŕmených krmivom doplneným selenom z anorganických zdrojov. Výskum malých prežuvavcov , 111, 76–82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smallrumres.2012.10.009 Fthenakis, GC (1995). Kalifornský test na mastitidu a Whitesideov test na diagnostiku subklinickej mastitidy mliecnych bahnic. Výskum malých prežuvavcov, 16, 271–276. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0921448895006382 Hess, D. et al. (1991). Simultaneous determination of retinol, tocopherols, carotenes and lycopene in plasma by means of high-performance liquid chromatography on reversed phase. International Journal of Vitamin and Nutrition Research , 61, 232–238. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1794952/ Kafilzadeh, F. et al. (2014). Comparing the effect of oral supplementation of vitamin E, injective vitamin E and selenium or both during late pregnancy on production and reproductive performance and immune function of dairy cows and calves. The Scientific World Journal , 5. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/165841 Misurova, L. et al. (2009). Selenium metabolism in goats – maternal transfer of selenium to newborn kids. Veterinarni Medicina 54, 125–130. https://www.agriculturejournals.cz/publicFiles/05520.pdf Paglia, D. E, Valentine, W. N. (1967). Studies on the quantitative and qualitative characterization of erytrocyte glutathione peroxidase. The Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine , 70, 158–169. http://garfield.library.upenn.edu/classics1989/A1989T143200001.pdf Persson, W. K. et al. (2007). Supplementation of RRR-alpha-tocopheryl acetate to periparturient dairy cows in commercial herds with high mastitis incidence. Journal of Dairy Science , 90, 3640–3646. http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.2006-421 Pavlata, L. et al. (2002). Selenium status of cattle in the Czech Republic. Acta Veterinaria Brno , 71, 3–8. https://actavet.vfu.cz/71/1/0003/ Pavlata, l. et al. (2012). Direct and indirect assessment of selenium status in sheep – a comparison. Veterinarni Medicina , 57, 219–223. http://vri.cz/docs/vetmed/57-5-219.pdf Smith, K. L. et al. (1997). Dietary vitamin E and selenium affect mastitis and milk quality. Journal of Animal Science , 75, 1659–1665. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9250530/ Spears, J. W., Weiss, W. P. (2008). Role of antioxidants and trace elements in health and immunity of transition dairy cows. The Veterinary Journal , 176, 70–76. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18325801/ Vasiľ, M. a kol. (2018). Patogeny stožiar izolovane izolovane od vzoriek mlieka v chove oviec nachadzajucich sa v okrajových castiach Slovenska. V infekcne a parazitarne choroby zvierat, 6. rocnik medzinarodnej vedeckej konferencie , 13.-14. Septembra, Kosice. s. 244–248. ISBN 978-80-8077-583-4

Article Details: Received: 2020-10-06 | Accepted: 2020-11-27 | Available online: 2021-01-31 https://doi.org/10.15414/afz.2021.24.mi-prap.122-126 The artificial insemination and the oestrus cycle synchronization are some of the most frequently used biotechnical methods of reproduction not only for sheep, but also for the other spieces of livestock. They are used mainly to achieve the shortening of the lambing period and to achieve easier breeding. An exact estimation of the lambing period is essential for the breeding process optimization, as it allows better preparation for the lambing period. This experiment monitors 48 Zwartbles sheep. Before the artificial insemination itself, the oestrus cycle of the sheep was synchronized using intravaginal sponges Ovigest and the subsequent intracervical insemination was performed using fresh, diluted and chilled semen extracted from rams of the Zbysek and Zachari lineages. The pregnancy rates after insemination and after the subsequent breeding of the barren ewes in a harem were determined according to the pregnancy detection and the subsequent lambing times. Marking the exact date and time of insemination and lambing allowed to determine the overall pregnancy lengths in the inseminated animals. The overall pregnancy rate after insemination was 41.7% and the overall pregnancy rate after the subsequent breeding in a harem was 93.8%. The overall pregnancy period in animals after insemination varied between 141.6 and 147.8 days and the peak of lambing took place between 144.1 and 146.8 days. Keywords: insemination, pregnancy, reproduction, synchronization, oestrus References Cunat, L. et al. (2013). Využiti inseminace ovci v chovatelske praxi. Praha: Ceska zemědělska univerzita. Gajdosik, M. & Polach, A. (1984). Chov oviec. Bratislava: Priroda. Gootwine, W. (2016). Sheep: Reproductive Management. Husbandry of Dairy Animals, 1(1), 887–892. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-100596-5.21239-0 Horak, F. et al. (2012). Chovame ovce. Praha: Brazda. Ingoldby, L. & Jackson, P. (2001). Induction od parturition in sheep. In Practice, 23(4), 228–231. http://doi.org/10.1136/inpract.23.4.228 Iyiola-Tunji, T. et al. (2010). Relationship Between Gestation Length and Birth Weight in Nigerian Sheep and Their Crosses. Animal Production, 12(3), 135–138. http://doi.org/10.20884/1.anprod.2010.12.3.282 Kadlecik, O. & Kasarda, R. (2006). Vseobecna zootechnika, Nitra: Slovenska poľnohospodarska univerzita v Nitre. Kuchtik, J. et al. (2007). Chov ovci. Brno: Mendelova univerzita v Brně. Louda, F. et al. (2001). Inseminace hospodařských zviřat. Praha: Ceska zemědělska univerzita v Praze. Louda, F. & Ježkova, A. (2002). Biotechnicke metody v reprodukci ovci a koz. Nas chov. Retrieved August 17, 2020 from https://naschov.cz/biotechnicke-metody-v-reprodukci-ovci-a-koz/. Louda, F. & Hegedusova, Z. (2009). Inseminace ovci – intenzifikacni faktor slechtitelske prace. Certifikovana metodika. Rapotin: Agrovýzkum Rapotin. Mala, G. et al. (2011). Chov dojných ovci. Zasady spravne chovatelske praxe, Praha: Výzkumný ustav živocisne výroby. Mavrogenis, A. P. (1992). Breed group and parity effects on gestation duration and litter size at birth of sheep. Technical Bulletin Cyprus Agricurtural Research Institut, 42(1992), 3–6. Ntemka, A. et al. (2018). Current status and advances in ram semen cryopreservation. Journal of the Hellenic Veterinary Medical Society, 69(2), 911–924. https://doi.org/10.12681/jhvms.18014 Reckova, Z. & Filipcik, R. (2020). An analysis of Selected Aspects of Sperm Quality in Fresh and Cooled-Storage Stallion Semen. Iranian Journal of Applied Animal Science, 10(3), 405–408. Retrieved October 23, 2020 from http://ijas.iaurasht.ac.ir/article_675315_c1a9e1ab03a577c5ca5580877afaaa06.pdf Řiha, J. (1999). Biotechnologie v chovu a slechtěni hospodařských zviřat. Rapotin: Asociace chovatelů masných plemen. Sandor, K. et al. (2011). Artificial Insemination of Sheep - Possibilities, Realities and Technique at the Farm Level In Artificial Insemination in Farm Animals, Iran: IntechOpen, pp. 27–50. Salamon. S. & Maxwell, W. M. C. (2000). Storage of ram semen. Animal Reproduction Science, 62(1–3), 77–111. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-4320(00)00155-X Tzanidakis, N. et al. (2014). Dairy sheep breeding. LowInputBreeds technical note, 1(1), 1–6. Vallejo, D. A. et al. (2019). Pregnancy rates in hair sheep after Ovsynch synchronization and a combined intracervical fixed-time artificial insemination and 10-day mating period. Veterinary World, 12(11), 1779–1783. www.doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2019.1779-1783 Vaněk, D. & Stolc, L. (2002). Chov skotu a ovci: (přednasky pro Bc). Praha: Ceska zemědělska univerzita.

THREE of the most important parameters of reproduction in sheep, the age at first lambing, the lambing interval and the number of lambs born per ewe at each lambing, were analysed from the herdbook of the breeding flock of the University of Ibadan for the period - 1968 to 1974. The means were as follows: 1. age at first lambing: 424.9 (310-363 days) 2. lambing interval: 234.4 (151-571 days) 3. number of lambs at birth 1.4 (1-3) Of the 603 lambings recorded, 38 percent resulted in twins and 4 percent in triplets. The percentage of multiple births increased with the number of lambings an ewe had completed. The wide ranges in performance indicate that there is scope for improvement of the reproductive potential of this breed of sheep through improved management and or through selection.

Ninety-four pregnant Yankasa ewes were divided into 3 groups and fed; (1) 0, (2) 200 or (3) 400 g/head/dat of a concentrate supplement in addition to 6 h grazing daily, from 35.9±2.0 days before, to 98. 1 ±2.0 days after lambing in the dry season between 2 Januuy and 15 May 1984 in Zaria, Northern Nigeria. There were no significant differences (P>0.05) between groups in litter size and adjusted birth weight in the initial lambing 35.9±2.0 days into the experiment although the latter showed consistent increase with level of supplementation. Adjusted 90- day weaning weights increued significantly (P

Background Sheep producers reported elevated ewe mortality following a wetter-than-average season on the tablelands of New South Wales in 2010. We conducted a survey of local producers to determine the extent and cause of ewe losses, as well as associated risk factors. Methods A questionnaire was designed and posted to sheep producers running at least 1000 sheep. Data from questionnaires were analysed using linear mixed models to identify risk factors associated with ewe mortality. Data on the likely causes of deaths, particularly those associated with foot abscess, were analysed by ordinal generalised linear mixed models to determine the most prevalent causes of ewe death. Results The mean annual ewe mortality was 5.4% (range 0.1%-28.6%). Higher mortality was associated with older ewes and lambing in paddocks with longer pastures. The two most important causes of ewe death reported by farmers were 'died during lambing' and 'foot abscess'. Mortality due to foot abscess was more commonly reported in adult ewes than maiden ewes (odds ratio and 95% confidence interval: 5.61; 3.52, 8.94), when lambing on pasture longer than 5 cm than ≤5 cm (2.96; 1.54, 5.70) and when lambing in spring than in autumn (4.87; 1.36, 17.41). Conclusions The level of ewe mortality observed was at the upper end of that reported previously in Australia. Risk factor analysis suggested that, in wet years, losses due to foot abscess could be reduced by lambing older heavier ewes in autumn on pasture swards less than 5 cm high.

Changes in the concentrations of sodium (Na) and potassium (K) in saliva were monitored in order to assess the status of these cations in twice-yearly lambing ewes. Five pregnant ewes in late gestation were sampled once per week for 8 weeks before lambing and 8 weeks post-partum. Values (meq/litre) obtained (187.4-190.5 and 8.7-9.3) for Na and K respectively in the saliva of both pregnant and lactating Yankasa ewes did not show any evidence of deficiency for the two cations.

An appraisal of mineral status of twice-yearly lambing Yankasa ewes was carried out in order to trace any evidence of mineral deficiency in the diet and to obtain baseline information of clinical, physiological and nutritional interest. A total of thirty pregnant and lactation ewes, weighing between 27 - 37kg was sampled for mineral profile in blood serum. The basal and supplemental diets were also analysed for chemical and mineral composition. Average daily dry matter intakes ranged from 0.92 to 1.5kg per head per day. Higher concentration of magnesium, iron, manganese and zinc were obtained in the serum of both pregnant and lactating ewes than values obtained for temperate breeds. Average calcium concentrations (mg/100ml) in the blood serum during gestation and lactation were 10.0 ± 1.7 and 6.1 æ 1.3respectively. The values were higher during gestation than lactation. The differences were significant (P 0.05). On the other hand, the mean concentration (mg/100ml) was 12.6 æ 2.2 during gestation and increased to 17.4 æ 3.2 during lactation. The differences were also significant. (P < 0.01). The concentrations of calcium and phosphorus (mg/100ml) were observed to be influenced by parturition.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation of protected fatty acids (FA) on nutrient digestibility, rumen parameters, some blood components, milk yield and its composition and lambs growth performance during the pre-weaning period (2 months old) of Suffolk x Ossimi ewes. A total of 36 pregnant ewes, weighing on the average 64.89±1.57 kg in their 2nd – 4th parities and aged 2.5 – 4.5 years were divided into three similar groups according to their body weight (12 ewes each) using a complete randomized block design .The feeding trial started 60 days before lambing (late pregnancy period) and continued 60 days after lambing (suckling period). The experimental rations were offered into animals with the rate of 0, 4 and 6% calcium-soap as protected fatty acids (based on DM intake). Body weight, total gain and daily gain of the new born lambs were recorded during the preweaning period (suckling period). The basal rations composed of 60% concentrate feed mixture (CFM) and 40% roughage (berseem 30% + rice straw 10%, RS).Three digestibility trials were carried out using nine Suffolk x Ossimi crossbred rams with average 62 kg BW and aged 2-2.5 years to determine the digestibility and feeding values of the experimental rations. Data showed that significant higher digestibility at (P

Since prehistoric times, sheep and goat farming has been an integral part of the farming system of the people of South east Nigeria. This study investigated the current state of sheep and goat farming amongst households in Imo State south eastern Nigeria. A total of one hundred and fifty (150) structured questionnaires were distributed to farmers randomly selected from three Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Imo state namely, Oru West, Ahiazu Mbaise and Ezinihitte Mbaise to determine the socio-economic characteristics, production systems, breeding and reproduction, constraints and strategies for economic improvement in a focus group interview. Only 89 farmers were available for interview. The results revealed significant decline in sheep and goat farming amongst the households across four generations within the households interviewed. Lack of interest due to poor policy framework, low productivity of existing breeds, difficulty in feed supply and high cost of breeding stock was identified as constraints of sheep and goat production in thiese areas. It was also observed that older people were more directly involved in sheep and goat farming than youths. 59.6% of the farmers were females, and 31-50% of the farmers were between the ages of 31 and 50 years. Farming was the most common occupation amongst the households while trading was the next. Results also showed that 76.4% of the communities had history of sheep and goat keeping whereas 73% of the total families interviewed had a history of sheep and goat keeping. It was also observed that 33.7% of households were involved in poultry enterprise and 25.3% involved in fish farming. Only 4.8% engaged in sheep and goat farming. Results obtained also revealed that 48.3% of the identified sheep and goat farmers kept breeds of sheep and goat from northern Nigeria while 40.4% maintained the west African dwarf breed. 34% of respondents believed that access to grants and credit facilities, 25 % believed provision of land in urban areas, while 21% believed improvement in small ruminant feed technology, would improve production. Lambing and kidding was mostly twice a year (48.3%). Breeding was mostly observed to be uncontrolled (51.7%). Also, the results showed that, 59.6% of the farmers were willing to pay for veterinary services. The most important diseases within these areas were worms, ecto-parasites and peste des petits ruminants (PPR). It can be inferred from the study that farmers within the region appear to pay greater emphasis on poultry production and fish farming to the detriment of smallholder sheep and goat farming which could be attributed to poor knowledge of sheep and goat farming technologies resulting to low productivity.

The aim of present study was to assess the effect of the gender on growth and carcass traits in lambs of the Romney Marsh breed. The experimental animals were male lambs (n = 12) and female lambs (n = 12) of the Romney Marsh breed. All lambs were twins and all their mothers were on the second parity. With regard to body weights and daily gains (DGs), the gender had a significant effect only on birth weight and DG from birth to the slaughter, while in all monitored intervals the DGs were higher in male lambs (MLs). The lamb gender did not have a significant effect on the easy of lambing, body condition score, depth of musculus longissimus lumborum et thoracis (DMLLT) and thickness of backfat (TBF). However, values for DMLLT and TBF were higher in female lambs (FLs), which in case of DMLLT was not expected. Regarding the carcass traits, the gender had a significant effect only on the weights of kidney, kidney fat, leg and shoulder and on the proportions of kidney fat and shoulder. Interestingly, the gender had no significant effect on the conformation and fatness, while slightly better carcass conformation and slightly higher fatness were found in FLs. It can be concluded that FLs of the Romney Marsh breed showed comparable values for both the growth and carcass traits with MLs. Moreover, a slightly higher fatness of FLs is a prerequisite for better juiciness and tenderness of their meat, when this fact can be considered as a benefit in the marketing.

The complex anatomical structure of the ewe reproductive tract accompanied with low quality of frozen ram semen for artificial insemination, resulted in a challenge with regard to using superior genotypes for reproductive ovine performance. Hence, improved genetics in ovine management has not been efficiently and widely used especially in undeveloped countries. Therefore, intrauterine semen deposition by laparoscopic insemination should be adopted in the current sheep production systems. Thus, this study aimed to assess the pregnancy rate and lambing rate of ewe inseminated by laparoscopic insemination techniques using frozen-thawed semen. The research used imported frozen semen from two rams of the Lacaune breed. Ewes were grouped according to age in years (1, 2 and 4). Before insemination, the semen was examined microscopically for its motility and viability and thereafter the laparoscopic artificial insemination technique was performed to 19 Lacaune breed ewes using frozen-thawed semen. The overall pregnancy and prolificacy rates were 31.57% and 42.10% respectively. Out of 2 ewes in the 1-year age group that were inseminated, only 1 ewe lambed representing 50%. However, from 16 ewes inseminated of four-year age group, 5 ewes lambed representing 31.25%. Significant difference based on age group was not evaluated due disproportionate of the data, (such that the data included 2 ewes in one-year-old age, 1 ewe in 2-year-old age and 16 ewes in 4-year-old age). Based on the ram semen, 33.33% and 30% of the inseminated ewes were pregnant from ram A and ram B semen respectively. However, in the case of prolificacy rate, 44.44% and 40 % of the ewes lambed from using semen of ram A and B, respectively. There was no significant difference (p>0.05) in pregnancy and prolificacy rates based on semen from the two rams. In conclusion, in this research study, ram semen had no significant effect on pregnancy and prolificacy rates using laparoscopic AI on Lacaune sheep. This could be due to the fact that the rams had very good quality semen. Evaluation of ram semen, accompanied with appropriate ewe selection based on age and rightful deposition of semen could lead to better and more consistent results. Overall this could contribute to the successful application of laparoscopic artificial insemination in Lacaune sheep production systems for enhanced productivity.

Clinical records of all 212 ewes undergoing emergency caesarean surgery at a veterinary teaching hospital between January 2008 and December 2019 were evaluated retrospectively. Their age ranged from 1 to 10 years (median = 4 years), with German merino the predominant breed (48.1% of cases). The most frequently diagnosed indications were insufficient cervical dilatation (n = 94, 44.3%), uterine torsion (n = 50, 23.6%), foetopelvic disproportion (n = 31, 14.6%) and vaginal prolapse intra partum (n = 11, 5.2%). Fifty-four (25.5%) of the 212 ewes additionally suffered from one or more concurrent, pre-existing conditions. Overall ewe mortality until hospital discharge was 10.8% (23/212), and 3.8% (n = 6) for the 158 ewes without a history of concurrent disorders. Mortality during hospitalization increased to 31.5% (17/54) for those with pre-existing conditions. Total lamb mortality was 49.1% (173/352) until hospital discharge. Pre-existing conditions (p = .001) and the presence of post-surgical complications (p = .025) were identified as significant factors influencing dam mortality, while delayed presentation for veterinary attention with an observed duration of labour of >12 hr was identified as the most influential factor on total lamb mortality (p = .010). The presence of dead or emphysematous foetuses was not significant for ewe mortality. Follow-up information on further outcomes was available for 156 (82.5%) of the 189 discharged ewes. Eighty-nine animals (57.1%) were re-bred in the following season and achieved a 93.3% (83/89) pregnancy rate, while the remainder had either been slaughtered (n = 56, 35.9%), sold (n = 5, 3.2%) or had died of unknown causes (n = 3, 1.9%). The subsequent incidence of dystocia was 15.6% (n = 12) in the 77 ewes with available information on lambing ease. Adequate management of underlying conditions and timely intervention are important factors for best possible short-term outcomes. In the long term, the subsequent pregnancy rate was good and the incidence of subsequent dystocia was within the normal range.

Ewe lamb live weight at first mating (7 months of age) is positively associated with reproductive performance and led to the recommendation of a minimum mating live weight of 40 kg. This experiment...

The aim of this study was to evaluate two different methods (a bovine rapid visual PAG ELISA test and transabdominal ultrasonography) for early diagnosis of pregnancy in Awassi sheep. The ewes used in this study (n=50) were hand-mated in June of 2019 and lambed in October of 2019. Pregnancy diagnosis was performed 34-38 days after mating by rapid visual PAG ELISA test and transabdominal ultrasonography in standing position. The diagnostic test characteristics of both methods were calculated using lambing results as a gold standard. Kappa analysis was conducted to analyze the agreement between each pregnancy diagnosis method and the lambing results. McNemar's analysis and the comparison of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves demonstrated that there was no significant difference between the pregnancy diagnosis methods and lambing results (p ≤ 0.05). According to the lambing results, it was determined that, of the 50 ewes, 42 (84%) were pregnant and 8 (16%) were not. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of rapid visual PAG ELISA and transabdominal ultrasonography were 97.6%, 62.5%, 93.2%, 83.3%, 92% and 95.2%, 100%, 100%, 80%, 96%, respectively. The Kappa coefficient was 0.669 (good agreement) between rapid visual PAG ELISA and lambing, and 0.865 (very good agreement) between transabdominal ultrasonography and lambing. In McNemar’s analysis, no difference was found between the pregnancy diagnosis methods and lambing results. ROC analysis revealed that the areas under the curves were 0.801 and 0.976 for rapid visual PAG ELISA and transabdominal ultrasonography, respectively, and the difference between the two pregnancy diagnosis methods was statistically insignificant. In conclusion, both rapid visual PAG ELISA and transabdominal ultrasonography in standing position proved to be practical and reliable methods for pregnancy diagnosis as of day 34 post-mating in Awassi ewes.

The objective of the study was to propose a model for a community-based breeding programme (CBBP) in Malpura sheep. The study was carried out for nine years (2012-2018) in 31 villages covering 77 flocks. The average flock size was 54.39 ± 0.65. The study revealed that the Malpura sheep is a long-day breeder with 72.1% of lambing during August to January. The higher concentration of lambing in this period is to avoid the stress of harsh summer and scarcity of feed. The disposal pattern of male lambs was stringent due to selection. Only 3.1% of male lambs reach to adult stage. For females, the replacement rate was 34.11%. The live weights (kg) from 8,263 lambs were 3.34 ± 0.01, 14.61 ± 0.04, 20.48 ± 0.07 and 30.01 ± 0.16, for birth, three-, six- and 12-month age, respectively. Non-genetic factors such as sex, season and year of birth and flock significantly influenced growth. The heritability was 0.20 ± 0.03, 0.20 ± 0.008, 0.23 ± 0.004 and 0.17 ± 0.009 for birth, three-, six- and 12-month weight, respectively. This indicated scope for genetic improvement, given a systematic breeding programme, is in place. The present model followed by sheep breeders is highly dependent upon the Government aided Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute (CSWRI) for supply of breeding rams, data collection and health care. Alternate self-sustainable model of CBBP is proposed wherein a breeder's organization leads the way to establish a ram-rearing centre (RRC), teams of experts for ram selection, data collection and market linkage. CSWRI will continue to assist for selection decisions and real-time data entry using a cloud-based "Avimegh" platform. The early selection of 5% male lambs at weaning and rearing them at RRC until final selection at 12-month will provide unbiased selection of rams under CBBP. The surplus rams will be sold by RRC for profit. Several key measures such as micro-finance, co-ordination between stakeholders, market linkage and technical input for data collection and selection have been suggested to make the CBBP self-sustainable.

Nutrition in fetal and postnatal life can influence the development of several biological systems, with permanent effects in adult life. The aim of this work was to investigate in dairy sheep whether diets rich in starch or fiber during intrauterine life (75 d before lambing) and postnatal life (from weaning to first pregnancy; growth phase) program glucose and insulin metabolism in the female offspring during their first pregnancy. Starting from intrauterine life, 20 nulliparous Sarda ewes were exposed to 4 dietary regimens (n = 5 per group) based on different dietary carbohydrates during their intrauterine life and their subsequent growth phase: (1) the fiber (FI) diet during both intrauterine and growth life, (2) the starch (ST) diet during both intrauterine and growth life, (3) the FI diet in intrauterine life followed by the ST diet in the growth phase, and (4) the ST diet in intrauterine life followed by the FI diet in the growth phase. After the end of the growth phase, all growing ewes were fed the same diet and naturally mated. When ewes were pregnant, on average at 124 ± 2 d of gestation they were challenged with an intravenous glucose tolerance test, and peripheral concentrations of glucose and insulin were determined. Basal insulin concentrations were higher in ewes exposed to the ST diet (0.97 μg/L) than in ewes exposed to the FI diet (0.52 μg/L) in intrauterine life. After glucose infusion, glucose and insulin concentrations were not affected by intrauterine diet. Insulin resistance, determined by the homeostasis model assessment, was affected by the intrauterine × growth phases interaction. Insulin sensitivity, assessed by the quantitative insulin check index, was lower in ewes exposed to the ST diet than in those exposed to the FI diet in intrauterine life (ST = 0.28; FI = 0.30). Diet in growth life had no effect on glucose and insulin metabolism. In conclusion, starchy diets offered during intrauterine life but not during postnatal life increased basal insulin level and lowered insulin sensitivity during the first pregnancy. Nutritional strategies of metabolic programming should consider that exposure to starchy diets in late fetal life might favor the programming of dietary nutrient partitioning toward organs with high requirements, such as the gravid uterus or the mammary gland.

The effect of prostaglandin and gonadotrophins (GnRH and hCG) combined with the ram effect on the progesterone (P4) concentrations and reproductive performance of Karakul ewes was investigated during non‐breeding season. Ewes (n = 93) received a male effect and were divided into two treatment groups including GnRH ‐ hCG (hCG, n = 32), GnRH ‐ GnRH (GnRH, n = 30) and a control (n = 31) group. This study was carried out from April (hormonal injection) to October (lambing). The first doses of GnRH (4.2 μg, Buserelin) were injected at the beginning of the study in treatment groups. These ewes were treated with hCG (250 IU) or the second GnRH dose five days later. All animals received two injections (ten days apart) of 150 μg PGF2α five days after the hCG or the second GnRH injection. Mating was initiated two days after the second prostaglandin injection and lasted for 34 days. Blood samples were collected by jugular venipuncture on days −10, −5, 0 (first PGF2α injection), 17 and 30 during the study. Pregnancy diagnosis was performed through transabdominal ultrasonography on day 40 after the removing of ram. Conception rate was 93.8, 90 and 87.1% in the hCG, GnRH and control groups, respectively. Lambing rate tended to increase in the hCG group compared with the control group (87.1 versus 58.1%; p .05). In conclusion, the administration of prostaglandin and hCG in combination with the ram effect tended to decrease lambing period. In other words this protocol tended to increase lambing rate at the first cycle. Treatment with hCG or GnRH did not increase serum P4 concentrations of treated Karakul ewes during the non‐breeding season., The administration of prostaglandin and hCG in combination with the ram effect may reduce lambing period and tended to increase lambing rate at the first cycle during the non‐breeding season. Administrations of double injection of GnRH not only had no effect on the progesterone concentrations but also couldn’t improve the reproductive performance of treated ewes. Treatment with hCG or GnRH on Day 5 after the GnRH administration did not increase serum P4 concentrations of treated Karakul ewes during the non‐breeding season

The objective of this study was to evaluate whether dairy sheep during the transition period are affected by their parity numbers with regard to (1) body weight (BW), body condition score (BCS), and production performance (milk yield and composition) and (2) metabolic, inflammation, and stress biomarkers. For this purpose, 30 Sarda dairy ewes [15 primiparous (PRP) and 15 multiparous (MUP) ewes] were recruited on d 90 of gestation. Each group was homogeneous according to age, BW, and BCS. Sampling was carried out at -60, -30, -7, 0, +30, and +60 d from lambing. The MUP ewes showed a higher BW (46.32 vs. 38.71 kg) and larger litter size (1.45 vs. 1.06 kg) but a lower BCS (2.47 vs. 2.70) than the PRP ewes. Furthermore, the MUP ewes had lower concentrations of glucose (3.49 vs. 4.27 mol/L), cholesterol (1.63 vs. 1.81 mmol/L), free fatty acids (0.47 vs. 0.62 mmol/L), and triglycerides (0.22 vs. 0.25 mmol/L) compared with PRP ewes. With regard to inflammation and oxidative stress parameters, the PRP group had higher haptoglobin (0.48 vs. 0.18 g/L) and paraoxonase (187.90 vs. 152.11 U/L) activity than the MUP group. Overall, the MUP ewes were characterized by greater milk production performance and greater feed intake, resulting in a better energy balance, than the PRP ewes. Interestingly, these findings highlighted a different metabolic and inflammatory response over the transition period between PRP and MUP ewes, with the latter displaying lower concentrations of inflammatory-related biomarkers.

The main aim of this paper is to analyze the influence of genetic and non-genetic factors on the birth weight and weaning weight of lambs. The study was carried out on the basis of the Institute of Animal Husbandry of Steppe Regions named by M. F. Ivanov “Askania-Nova” – the National Scientific Agricultural Center in Sheep Breeding of NAAS. Birth and weaning weights data collected during a 5-vear period from 3961 lambs were used. The reproductive traits of the Ascanian fine-fleece (AC) ewes were evaluated in combination with the rams of different genotypes: Ascanian fine-fleece, Australian merino (AM) and half-bred animals (1/2AC+1/2AM). The main effect of the ram genotype and the year of lambing, the age of the ewes, the litter size, the sex of lamb and the sex ratio in twins on the birth weight and weaning weight of lambs was analysed using one-way ANOVA. Differences between years of the 5-year period were highly significantly (P < 0.001) for all lamb traits studied. The effects of the environmental factor (year of lambing) on the birth weight and weaning weight of lambs represented 27.2 and 15.2 per cent of the total variance, respectively. The ram-group effects, which are mainly genetic differences, were highly significant (P

There are hypotheses that crossbreeding increases precocity, milk production and fertility of ewes, improves quality of wool with decrease in the amount of wool clip and shearing frequency from two to one time a year, and increases the growth rate of young sheep. Thus, the direction of sheep productivity turns towards increasing lamb production. Studied were quantitative and qualitative changes in the production character of Pechora-Ostfriesian crossbreeds for justification of their breeding and further use in the selection process. The objects for the study were ewes, suckling lambs and growing young sheep of the Pechora breed group and Pechora-Ostfriesian crossbreeds of the first generation of the experimental herd of L. A. Kaneva peasant farm in the Ust-Tsilma district of the Komi Republic. For the comparative analysis, data from primary zootechnical record and valuations for 2016-20 years were used. All measurements were performed in accordance with approved conventional methods. Crossbred sheep of the first generation were significantly more precocious, they had their first lambing 164 days earlier. The wool fineness of crossbreeds has increased to 56-60 quality, and the fleece evenness to 100 %, while twice reducing the cost of shearing. There is a tendency to increase the average daily gain in live weight of Pechora-Ostfriesian young sheep at the age of three to seven months by 17.4 g, or 18.1 %. The studies have shown that crossbreeding had not led to increase in the fecundity and milk production of ewes. However, the production of live weight gain per ewe per year was higher in crossbreeds by 4.4 kg, which suggests the prospects of crossing.

Primiparous ewes and multiparous ewes show physiological differences during pregnancy, which can have an impact on the development of their offspring. The objective of this study was to compare the changes in the metabolic profile and in the size of some foetal bones throughout gestation between primiparous and multiparous ewes. Twelve primiparous (PM) ewes and 14 multiparous (MT) ewes were used. According to the dates of lambing, two groups of ewes were formed: Group 1 (G1, n = 6 PM and n = 7 MT) and Group 2 (G2, n = 6 PM and n = 7 MT). The body weight, body condition score, metabolic and foetal morphometric parameters were determined from before conception until the end of gestation. After lambing, the body weight and survival rate during the first 72 hr of life of lambs, as well as the maternal behaviour score were recorded. The PM ewes were lighter (p < .01) and had a greater mobilization of body reserves during gestation, mainly evidenced by a greater serum concentration of NEFAs and lower serum concentration of total proteins (p < .05) compared with the MT ewes. The parity did not affect the foetal morphometric variables. The lambs of MT ewes were heavier at parturition (p = .002) and tended to have a greater survival rate than those lambs of PM ewes (p = .09). In conclusion, PM ewes and MT ewes differ in their metabolic profile throughout the gestation. However, in the present study, we did not find parity differences in the dimensions of foetal bones during growth in gestation.

The study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of using long-acting medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) to delay the lambing season in communal wool sheep ewes. The study was conducted in three phases. In phase 1, a random assessment was made to determine whether the hormone had any effect on delaying the onset of the lambing season. In the second phase, the administration of the hormone at different times during the perceived mating season was assessed. In the third phase, it was investigated whether the use of the hormone had residual effects in the subsequent lambing season after the treatment was discontinued. From the results it is evident that the administration of 150 mg MPA before conception could delay lambing between two and three months. November seems to be the optimum month for hormone administration. However, administration of the hormone did not guarantee effective prevention of conception in all treated ewes and discontinuation of treatment resulted in ewes reverting to pre-treatment lambing patterns. In conclusion, long-acting MPA can be used selectively as an effective method to delay the lambing season in communal ewes and to manipulate it towards more favourable environmental conditions for ewes and lambs. There can be a seasonal effect on time of conception in communal ewes and this should be considered when timing a hormonal treatment protocol. Keywords: communal sheep farming, lambing season, manipulation, medroxyprogesterone acetate

Context Mating ewe lambs at ~7 months of age is viewed as a way to increase the profit of sheep farms in south-west Victoria, Australia. For a successful mating and high reproductive rate, ewe lambs need to be of >40 kg liveweight and condition score 3 at mating. The region has a temperate Mediterranean climate, and as such, dry summer pastures do not provide adequate nutrition for the weight gain required over summer and autumn if ewe lambs are to be mated early. There is limited economic information on the whole-farm benefits and risks associated with different feeding strategies for meeting the feed requirements of mating ewe lambs. Aims The aims were to test, for a prime-lamb system, whether profit would be increased by the mating of ewe lambs and whether there would be a reduction in whole-farm business risk. We hypothesised that different forage systems would offer profit and risk advantages over current dry-pasture and supplement systems for growing out ewe lambs. Method The biophysical and economic characteristics of a prime-lamb case-study farm were modelled to examine how six different pasture and forage systems for mating ewe lambs would perform under varying seasonal, price and cost conditions. Systems 1 and 2 were based on perennial ryegrass and subterranean clover pastures. System 1 compared lambing at 2 years of age, and System 2 lambing at 1 year of age. The other four systems simulated the use of different forages on a portion of the farm to grow out the ewe lambs for lambing at 1 year of age: System 3, spring-sown forage brassica rape; System 4, spring-sown winter-type canola; and System 5, lucerne; System 6, as for System 4 but at a higher lamb marking rate. Results and conclusions Lambing at 1 year of age increased profit and reduced business risk compared with lambing at 2 years of age. Use of spring-sown canola or lucerne forage for ewe-lamb mating provided the best returns on capital relative to the risk involved. Use of spring-sown canola reduced variability of annual returns, in part because of the diversification of income received from both lamb and canola. Implications The results of this modelling study indicate that some feed systems can increase farm profit and reduce business risk.

Context Economic modelling identified that mating of ewe lambs for lambing at 1 year of age has the potential to increase the profitability of sheep-production systems in south-western Victoria. In order to optimise reproductive rates, ewe lambs should weigh at least 35–40 kg, have a condition score (CS) of 3.0 at mating, and be gaining weight (100–150 g/day) during mating. However, typical perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) pastures in south-west Victoria do not support the attainment of these targets without additional supplementation. Aim Our research aimed to determine how grazing summer-active pastures or brassica (Brassica napus L.) forages affects the liveweight, CS, conception and reproductive rate of ewe lambs when offered before and during mating compared with a system using perennial ryegrass plus supplement. Methods A field experiment was conducted at Hamilton, Victoria, Australia, in 2014 and 2016 testing seven forage treatments replicated four times in a complete block design. The treatments were: canola (B. napus, two treatments of different cultivars), forage brassica, lucerne (Medicago sativa L.), chicory (Cichorium intybus L.), plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.) and perennial ryegrass. Key results Ewe lambs grazing canola or forage brassica had higher (P < 0.05) liveweight gains during the pre-mating and mating periods than those grazing the perennial ryegrass treatment (148 vs 75 g/day in 2014, s.e.m. 17; 139 vs 54 g/day in 2016, s.e.m. 17). In 2014, spring-sown dual-purpose canola, lucerne and chicory resulted in higher (P < 0.05) reproductive rates (144–151%) than the perennial ryegrass treatment (103%); forage brassica and plantain gave intermediate results (128% and 129%). Conclusion Brassica forages (including spring-sown canola), lucerne and chicory can support the attainment of key liveweight and CS targets for successful mating of ewe lambs in autumn. Implications Spring-sown canola is therefore a viable alternative forage for use by livestock producers in southern Australia and presents an opportunity to incorporate an alternative income stream in mixed-farming systems.