Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-xbtfd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-08T20:28:57.425Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A note on attainment of puberty of september-born early-maturing ewe lambs in relation to level of nutrition

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

F. Forcada ,
J. A. Abecia  and
L. Zarazaga
F. Forcada
Affiliation:
Departamento de Producción Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, M. Servet 177, 50013-Zaragoza, Spain
J. A. Abecia
Affiliation:
Departamento de Producción Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, M. Servet 177, 50013-Zaragoza, Spain
L. Zarazaga
Affiliation:
Departamento de Producción Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, M. Servet 177, 50013-Zaragoza, Spain
Get access

Abstract

The attainment of puberty in September-born early-maturing ewe lambs was studied at Zaragoza (latitude 41° 40' N). Thirty twin Salz females were allocated to two groups receiving two nutrition levels after 3 months of age: high (500 g/day lucerne hay and 500 g/day concentrate) (H) and low (500 g/ day lucerne hay) (L). Oestrus was detected daily by aproned rams. Corpora lutea were counted after oestrus and plasma progesterone levels monitored each week.

In the first breeding season (January to February) the percentage of females showing sexual activity (silent emulation or oestrus and ovulation) was higher in the H compared with the L group (67 and 20%; P < 0/05). Nonpubertal oestrus before the main breeding season was detected in 67% of animals. In the main breeding season and for H and L groups respectively, percentage of females showing silent ovulation before puberty was 67 and 33% and mean age at puberty extended to 319 (s.e. 4-8) and 314 (s.e. 3·7) days. Ovulation rate at puberty was 1·73 (s.e. 0·13) and 1·33 (s.e. 0·15) respectively (P < 0·05).

Keywords

lambsnutritionovulationpuberty
Type
Notes
Information
Animal Production , Volume 53 , Issue 3 , December 1991 , pp. 407 - 409
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1991

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Cleverdon, J. M. and Hart, D. S. 1981. Oestrus and ovarian activity of Booroola Merino crossbred ewe hoggets. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 41:189–192.Google Scholar
Fitzgerald, J. and Butler, W. R. 1982. Seasonal effects and hormonal patterns related to puberty in ewe lambs. Biology of Reproduction 27: 853–863.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Forcada, F., Abecia, J. A. and Sierra, I. 1990. Variation de los parámetros reproductivos en ovejas Rasa Aragonesa en funcion de la condition corporal. Informatión Técnica Econontica Agraria 86A: 123–132.Google Scholar
Foster, D. L. 1988. Puberty in the female sheep. In The physiology of reproduction (ed. Knobil, E., Neill, J.), pp. 1739–1762. Raven Press, New York.Google Scholar
Foster, D. L., Karsch, F. J., Olster, D. H., Ryan, D. R. and Yellon, S. M. 1986. Determinants of puberty in a seasonal breeder. Recent Progress in Hormone Research 42: 331–384.Google Scholar
Foster, D. L. and Ryan, K. D. 1981. Endocrine mechanisms governing transition into adulthood in female sheep. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility, supplement 30, pp. 75–90.Google ScholarPubMed
Keane, M. G. 1974. Effect of bodyweight on attainment of puberty and reproductive performance in Suffolk × ewe lambs. Irish Journal of Agricultural Research 13: 263–274.Google Scholar
Kinder, J. E., Day, M. L. and Kittok, R. J. 1987. Endocrine regulation of puberty in cows and ewes. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility, supplement 34, pp. 167–186.Google ScholarPubMed
Nelson, T. C., Short, R. E., Phelps, D. A. and Staigmiller, R. B. 1985. Nonpubertal estrus and mature cow influences on growth and puberty in heifers. Journal of Animal Science 61: 470–473.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ricordeau, G., Tchamitchian, L., Thimonier, J., Flamant, J. C. and Theriez, M. 1978. First survey of results obtained i n France on reproductive and maternal performance in sheep, with particular reference on the Romanov breed and crosses with it. Livestock Production Science 5:181–201.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rutter, L. M. and Randel, R. D. 1986. Nonpuberal estrus in beef heifers. Journal of Animal Science 63:1049–1053.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sierra, I. 1982. Formatión de una nueva raza ovina sintetica a partir de las razas Romanov y Rasa Aragonesa. Zootechnia XXXI: (1–2–3), 14–20.Google Scholar
Sutama, I. K., Edey, T. N. and Fletcher, I. C. 1988. Studies on reproduction of Javanese thin-tail ewes. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 39: 703–711.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vesely, J. A. and Swierstra, E. E.. 1987. Reproductive traits of ewe lambs representing eight genetic types born in winter, spring, summer and fall. Journal of Animal Science 65: 1195–1200.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vosniakou, A. G., Doney, J. M. and Tsakalof, P. 1989. A note on the seasonal oestrous period in three breeds of Greek dairy sheep. Animal Production 49:147–150.Google Scholar