THE INFLUENCE OF BODY CONDITION SCORE ON RESPONSE OF EWES TO THE RAM EFFECT
Keywords:
body condition, oestrus synchronisation, ram effect, response rate, sheepAbstract
The effect of body condition score (BCS) of ewes on their fecundity is well documented. However, data for the influence of BCS on the response of ewes to the so called “ram effect” which synchronizing effect appeared from the 16th to 26th days after introduction of rams into flock are equivocal, and not enough. The aim of this study is to estimate the effect of body condition score on reaction of ewes to the ‘ram effect”. For this purpose there were carried out 6 experiments with five different Bulgarian breeds, and the total number of 1407 sheep. Body condition score of ewes varied from 1.9 to 4.6 in different sheep and it was estimated using a scoring system based on a five-point scale. Rams were introduced into sheep flock at the end of anoestrous season, in the second part of July and the first part of August. The response in all 6 experiments and in all 5 breeds was similar with the typical two peaks of oestrus activity. Ewes responded with oestrus behaviour between 16th and 26th days after ram introduction into flocks were 30.2% of the total number of animals with BCS < 2.4; 44.4% with BCS 2.4–2.9; 64.3% with BCS 3 – 3.5; 65.4% with BCS 3.6–4.0 and 52.7% with BCS > 4.0. The differences were significant between sheep with BCS > 3.0 and < 3.0, between sheep with BCS < 2.4 and BCS 2.4–2.9. In conclusion, for maximal “ram effect” it is necessary for ewes to have BCS between 3 and 4. The good body condition is connected with better sexual functions in general. Synchronisation of oestrus of ewes by proper applying of the “ram effect” is effective, easy, cheap, clean and ethic method, which merit application in sheep farming.
References
Agresti, A., 2007. An Introduction to Categorical Data Analysis. Jon Wiley and sons Inc. (Wiley-interscience), Hobouen, New Jersey, USA
Chemineau, P., M. T. Pellicer-Rubio, N. Lassoued, G. Khaldi and D. Monniaux, 2006. Male-induced short oestrous and ovarian cycle sheep and goats: a working hypothesis. Reproduction Nutrition Development, 46: 417–429.
Folch, J., N. Lassoued, G. Khaldi, E. Hanocq, L. Bodin, J. J. Jurado, P. Chemineau, 2000. Plasticity of sheep and goat reproduction in the Mediterranean basin.Livestock production and climatic uncertainty in the Mediterranean. Proceedings of the joint ANPA-EAAP-CIHEAM-FAO symposium, Agadir, Morocco, 22–24 October 1998. EAAP Publication No. 94 Wangenigen Pres., pp. 237–245.
Khaldi, G. and N. Lassoued, 1991. lnteractions nutrition-reproduction chez les petits ruminants en milieu mediterraneen. Proc. international Symposium on Nuclear and Related Techniques in Animal Production and Health. AIEA/FAO, 15-19 April, Vienna, pp. 379–390.
Korjonen, L., 1997. Baggeffekten vid initiering och synkronisering av brunst hos tacka: foerdjupningsarbete. [The ram effect in initiation and synchronization of oestrus in the ewe]. Monograph, SLU, Uppsala, Sweden. Institutionen för Obstetrik och Gynekologi.
Lassoued, N., 1998. Induction de l’ovulation par “effet belier” chez les brebis de race Barbarine en anestrus saisonner. Mecanismes impliques dans l’existence du cicle ovulatiore de courte duree. PhD thesis, Univ. Tunis, pp. 190
Lassoued, N. and G. Khaldi, 1990. Infl uence du niveau alimentaire avant et après la mise bas sur la réponse des brebis de race Barbarine à l’effet mâle. Ann INRAT, Tunisie, 63: 1–16.
Martin, G. B., and H. Kadokawa, 2006. „Clean, green and ethical” animal production. Case study: Reproductive effi ciency in small ruminants. Journal of Reproduction and Development, 52: 145–152.
Martin, G. B., 1984. Factors affecting the secretion of luteinizing hormone in the ewe. Biological Reviews, 59: 1–87.
Mellado M., A. Vera and H. Loera, 1994. Reproductive performance of crossbred goats in good or poor body condition exposed to bucks before breeding. Small Ruminant Research, 14: 45–48.
Nedelkov, K. V., 2013. Nutritional and Non Hormonal Methods for Synchronisation of Estrous and Increasing fecundity in sheep. Thesis of PhD dissertation, Trakia University, Faculty of Agriculture, Stara Zagora (Bg)
Nottle, M. B., R. F Seamark and B. P. Setchell, 1990. Feeding lupin grain for six days prior to a cloprostenol-induced luteolysis can increase ovulation rate in sheep irrespective of when in the oestrous cycle supplementation commences. Reproduction, Fertility and Development, 2: 189–192.
Pearce, D. T. and C. M. Oldham, 1984. The “ram effect”, its mechanism and application to the management of sheep. In: D.R. Lindsay and D.T. Pearce (Ed.), Reproduc tion in Sheep, Australian Academy of Science, Canberra, pp. 26–34.
Pearse, B. H. G., N. P. McMeniman and I. A. Gardner, 1994. Infl uence of body condition on ovulatory response to lupin (Lupinus angustifolius) supplementation of sheep. Small Ruminant Research, 13: 27–32.
Plohinskiy, N. А., 1980. Algorithms Biometrics. Moscow University Press, Moscow (Ru).
Scaramuzzi, R. J., B. K. Campbell, J. A. Downing, N. R. Kendall and M. Khalid, 2006. A review of the effect of supplementary nutrition in the ewe on the concentrations of reproductive and metabolic hormones and the mechanisms that regulate folliculogenesis and ovulation rate. Reproduction, Fertility and Development, 46: 339–354.
Signoret, J. P., Y. Cognie and G.B. Martin, 1984. The effect of males on female repro ductive physiology. In: M. Courot (Editor), The Male in Farm Animal Reproduction, Current Topics in Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, 30: 290–304.
Thimonier, J., Y. Cognie, N. Lassoued and G. Khaldi, 2000. L’effet male chez les ovins: une technique actuelle de maitrise de la reproduction. INRA Productions Animales, 13: 223–231.
Todorov, N., J. Mitev and R. Otuzbirov, 1994. Body condition scoring in sheep. Publ. NIS at VIZVM, Stara Zagora, pp. 28 (Bg).
Ungerfeld, R., 2003. Reproductive responses of anestrous ewes to the introduction of rams. Doctoral thesis, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala.
Ungerfeld, R., M. Forbes and E. Rubianes, 2004. Overview of the response of anoestrus ewes to the ram effect. Reproduction, Nutrition, Development, 16: 479–490.
Veliz, F. G., P. Poindron, B. Malpaux and J. A. Delgadillo, 2006. Positive correlation between the body weight of anestrous goats and their response to the male effect with sexually active buck. Reproduction, Nutrition, Development, 46: 657–661.
Vinoles, G. C., 2003. Effect of nutrition on follicle development and ovulation rate in the ewe. Doctoral thesis, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala.
Vologirov, М. К., V. Sh. Bezhdugov and H. H. Uardganov, 2009. Increasing sheep fecundity – crucial factors for increasing mutton production (effect of in breed selection and feeding factors), Sheep, Goat, Wool affairs, 3: 4–7 (Ru).
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2015 Bulgarian Journal of Agricultural Science
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
