Rams with strong libido and desirable semen characteristics can provide more insemination doses per ejaculate and produce more progeny, improving population genetic linkage to improve the accuracy of EBV. The objective of this study was to determine if teasing rams, either by sight and smell alone (Exp. 1), or physical contact (Exp. 2), could improve libido and semen quality of rams. In Exp. 1,...

Data of 3272 lambing records collected on 818 ewes born from 689 dams and sired by 371 rams were used in the evaluation of ewe lifetime productivity (total number born, number weaned and total weight weaned). These records were collected from ewes born from 1969 to 1994 and which gave birth during the period from 1971 to 1999. Year of birth of ewe and ewe two-tooth liveweight affected the ewe p...

BACKGROUND The risk of scrapie infection increases with increased duration and proximity of contact between sheep at lambing. Scrapie infectivity has not been detected in milk but cellular prion protein, the precursor of disease-associated prion protein PrPd, has been found in milk from ruminants. To determine whether milk is able to transmit scrapie, 18 lambs with a prion protein genotype asso...

Abstract The aim of this research communication was to examine the effect dietary supplementation with wheat-based dried distillers’ grains solubles (DDGS), a by-product bioethanol production, on yield, composition, and fatty acid (FA) profile ewe milk. Forty-five purebred mid-lactating Chios ewes (average milk yield 2.23 kg/d in 96 ± 5 d lactation) were offered three iso-nitrogenous iso-energe...

Four hundred seventy-four ewe lambs (5 to 6 mo of age) were assigned within breed to two postweaning feed treatments; 1 = alfalfa pellets ad libitum and 2 = alfalfa pellets plus 20% barley or wheat ad libitum. Ten days prior to the start of breeding, approximately one-half of the ewe lambs within each feed treatment were treated with a single injection of 2.5 mg of estradiol valerate and 1.5 mg...

Although a number of common reproductive disorders in livestock involve bacterial infection, very little is known about their normal vaginal microbiota. Therefore, we sought to determine the species composition of sheep and cattle vaginal microbiota. Twenty Rambouillet ewes and twenty crossbred cows varying in age and reproductive status were sampled by ectocervicovaginal lavage. We amplified a...

Characteristic of the udder, milk traits and their relationship were investigated in 32 Awassi ewes raised in a commercial flock. Commencing one month after lambing milk yield was recorded at monthly intervals until the ewes were dried. Also, the udder traits were measured, including udder width, udder circumference, udder length, distance between teats and length and diameter of both teats. Re...

Twenty-four Dorper × Pelibuey ewe lambs initially weighing 25.1 ± 0.6 kg were used in a 34-d feeding experiment and after slaughter to evaluate the effect of zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH) on feedlot performance, carcass characteristics, and wholesale cut yield. Ewe lambs were individually housed in pens, blocked by initial BW, and assigned randomly within BW blocks to 1 of 2 treatments: 1) cont...

A report of mammary development in 6-month-old ewe lambs grazing lucerne on a commercial farm in North Otago provided an opportunity to investigate the possibility to use this as a tool to detect oestrogenic lucerne pastures. Of the 36 ewe lambs grazing lucerne at this farm, protruding mammary glands were visible in 19. In contrast, none of the 22 ewe lambs grazing grass had protruding mammary ...