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The effects of exogenous progesterone supplementation in late pregnancy on gestation length and colostrum yield in ewes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2017

T.F. Crosby ,
P.J. Quinn ,
A. P. O'Donnell ,
P. Nowakowski  and
J.V. O'Doherty
T.F. Crosby
Affiliation:
University College Dublin, Lyons Research Farm, Newcastle, Co. Dublin, Ireland
P.J. Quinn
Affiliation:
University College Dublin, Lyons Research Farm, Newcastle, Co. Dublin, Ireland
A. P. O'Donnell
Affiliation:
University College Dublin, Lyons Research Farm, Newcastle, Co. Dublin, Ireland
P. Nowakowski
Affiliation:
Agricultural University Wroclaw, Department of Sheep Breeding, Vwzuchowska, 7, 51-631, Wroclaw, Poland
J.V. O'Doherty
Affiliation:
University College Dublin, Lyons Research Farm, Newcastle, Co. Dublin, Ireland
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Extract

The importance of falling progesterone (P4) concentrations in the initiation of parturition and the onset of lactogenesis in many species has long been recognised (Thorburn, et al., 1972). O'Doherty and Crosby (1996) reported a negative linear relationship between P4 concentration at 1 hour post lambing and colostrum yield at 1 h and total yield at 18 h. The administration of progesterone failed to delay parturition when given at a daily dose of 80 mg for a week but larger doses of progesterone (160 mg/day) blocked term labour in most sheep (Bengtsson and Schofield, 1963). The objective of this experiment was to examine the effects of exogenous progesterone administration to ewes in late pregnancy on ewe serum progesterone concentrations, gestation length and colostrum yield and quality.

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Programme
Information
Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science , Volume 1999 , 1999 , pp. 65
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Science 1999

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References

Bengtsson, L.P. and Schofield, B.M. (1963). Progesterone and the accomplishment of parturition in the sheep. J. Repd. Fert. 5:423.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O'Doherty, J.V., and Crosby, T.F. (1996). The effect of diet in late pregnancy on progesterone concentration and colostrum yield in ewes. Theriogenology, 48:233–241.Google Scholar
Thorburn, G.D., Nicol, D.H., Basset, J.M., Shutt, D.A. and Cox, R.J. (1972). J. Reprod. Fert. (Supple.) 16: 61.Google Scholar