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A comparison of the effects of ram introduction and treatment with melatonin upon the breeding activity of seasonally anovular ewes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 November 2017

M. Rekik ,
M.J. Bryant  and
F.J. Cunningham
M. Rekik
Affiliation:
Departments of Agriculture and Physiology, University of Reading, Reading, Berks
M.J. Bryant
Affiliation:
Departments of Agriculture and Physiology, University of Reading, Reading, Berks
F.J. Cunningham
Affiliation:
Departments of Agriculture and Physiology, University of Reading, Reading, Berks Departments of Agriculture and Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Reading, Reading, Berks
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Extract

Both the introduction of rams and treatment with melatonin will hasten the onset of the breeding season of sheep. The response of British breeds of sheep to the introduction of rams is generally considered to be confined to a period of only a few weeks before the usual date of onset of the breeding season (Fraser, Stamp and Cunningham, 1987). However, treatment with melatonin and the “ram effect” may work synergistically as melatonin would be expected to advance the period when the ewes are sensitive to the introduction of rams. This experiment investigated the hypothesis that exposure to high, sustained levels of melatonin from an intravaginal implant would lead to a response to the introduction of rams in mid-seasonal anoestrus similar to that obtained around the onset of the breeding season.

Type
Developments in Sheep Production
Information
Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Production (1972) , Volume 1988 , March 1988 , pp. 93
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Production 1988

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References

Fraser, A., Stamp, J.T. and Cunningham, J.H.M. (1987). Sheep Husbandry and Diseases. 6th ed. pp. 89–90. Collins.Google Scholar
Nowak, R. and Rodway, R.G. (1985). J. Reprod. Fert. 74: 287–293.CrossRefGoogle Scholar