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A note on the effect of early weaning of lambs on reproductive rate of autumn lambed karakul ewes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

N. Sefidbakht
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, Pahlavi University, Shiraz, Iran
M. Makarechian
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, Pahlavi University, Shiraz, Iran
K. Ghorban
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, Pahlavi University, Shiraz, Iran
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Summary

From among a group of ewes in which oestrus had been induced following progesterone and PMS treatment and which had been mated in the spring, those lambing in early October were used for this experiment. They were divided into three treatment groups: (1) reared their lambs for 24 hr, (2) reared lambs for 16 days and (3) reared lambs for 75 days.

For the ewes rearing single lambs only in groups 1, 2 and 3, 100% (8 of 8), 93% (13 of 14) and 65% (11 of 17) respectively exhibited oestrus between lambing time in autumn and early winter (P<0·05). The average interval to post-partum oestrus was 29, 37, 50 days for group 1, 2 and 3 respectively. Group 3 exhibited first oestrus later than group 1 (P<0·01). These data show that lactation even during the peak of sexual activity has some suppressing effect on both the percentage of ewes showing oestrus and on delaying the onset of oestrus exhibition.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1971

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References

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