REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF RAHMANI EWES IN BREEDING AND NON-BREEDING SEASONS AACCORDING TO DIFFERENT HORMONAL PROTOCOLS

AbdEl-Rafaa, Liza; Ashmawy, T.; AbdEl-Khalek, A.

doi:10.21608/ejsgs.2022.266900

REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF RAHMANI EWES IN BREEDING AND NON-BREEDING SEASONS AACCORDING TO DIFFERENT HORMONAL PROTOCOLS

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Anim. Prod. Res. Inst.

² Fac. of Agric., Mansoura Univ.

10.21608/ejsgs.2022.266900

Abstract

Therty Rahmani ewes used to study the possibility of inducing estrous and ovulatory activities by hormonal treatments during the breeding season (September) or non-breeding season (May) for the purpose of improving fertility. Ewes were divided into three similar groups (10 heads/group) for each breeding season according to the type of hormonal treatments. Fresh diluted semen was used for AI, semen was deposited into the cervix. Results showed that estrus rate was higher (P<0.05) for T1 and T3 than T2, being the highest for T3 and in breeding than in non-breeding seaon. Estrus rate of treated ewes ranged from 60-100% in breeding season (September) and 40-90% in non-breeding season. Lambing rate was higher (P<0.05) for T3 and T1 than T2 in breeding and non-breeding season. Progesterone levels in all treatments in both seasons showed gradual increase in pregnant and non-pregnant animals from -2 to 3 days of sponge insertion to 7-12 days after sponge withdrawal, then showed additional increase in pregnants, while decreased less than 1 ng/ml in non-pregnants. The cost of one lamb production was the lowest for T3 comparing with T1 and T2, in breeding and non-breeding seasons. Attaining an adequate response in lambing rate and litter size of Rahmani ewes could be with the association of long P4 protocols (12 day) and 500 IU (in breeding season) or 700 IU (in non-breeding season) of hCG from the economic point.

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