Electrocardiogram (ECG) electrodes and carotid arterial and superior vena caval (SVC) catheters were placed in eight nonpregnant ewes and 11 fetuses (109-129 days gestation) to measure heart rate, arterial presssure, P-R interval, left ventricular pre-ejection period (PEP), and left ventricular ejection time (LVET), before and after digoxin infusion into the SVC. After the ewes were killed, the...

Levels of prostaglandins F (PGF) in uterine tissues and in uterine and peripheral plasma from ewes with and without IUD's were examined. Mature ewes were laparotomized on day 2 of the estrous cycle. Fifteen ewes with a corpus luteum on only one ovary were assigned at random to either a treated group (10 ewes) which received an intrauterine device (IUD) in each uterine horn or to a control group...

Body condition scores (BCS) of ovariectomized estradiol-treated ewes were controlled to examine effects of suboptimum BCS on insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I, IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs), and LH in the anterior pituitary gland, hypophyseal stalk-median eminence (SME), and circulation. Serum LH increased in ewes with BCS (1 = emaciated, 9 = obese) > 3 (HIGH-BCS), but not in ewes with BCS </=...

Teladorsagiosis is a major production-limiting disease in ruminants in temperate regions throughout the world and one of the key interventions in the management of the disease is the prevention of pasture contamination with Teladorsagia circumcincta eggs by ewes during the periparturient relaxation in immunity which occurs in the period around lambing. Here, we describe the immunisation of twin...

We evaluated the effects of preconception and gestational obesity in the ewe on offspring growth, metabolism, and glucose homeostasis. From 60 d before conception through parturition, multiparous ewes were fed 100% (control; n = 8) or 150% (obese, OB; n = 10) of NRC (1985) recommendations. Ewes on the OB diet increased BW by 30% from diet initiation to mating (P = 0.03) and by 52% by d 135 of g...

Objectives were to estimate effects of sire breed (Dorset, Finnsheep, Romanov, Texel, and Montadale), dam breed (Composite III and northwestern whiteface), mating season (August, October, and December), ewe age (1, 2, and 3 yr), and their interactions on reproductive traits of F1 ewes. A total of 1,799 F1 ewes produced 3,849 litters from 4,804 exposures to Suffolk rams during 35-d mating season...

two experiments were performed to determine the effectiveness of different progestogens contained in intravaginal devices, different doses of ecg and subsequent hcg treatment on the reproductive performance of estrus-induced mature lori ewes. in the first experiment, 88 ewes were allocated into two groups, and were treated with either fluorogestone acetate (fga) sponges or controlled internal d...

Reproductive performance was evaluated in non-lactating crossbred ewes to which were administered the exogenous GnRH and PMSG. The ewes were randomly allocated in three treatment groups (n=40).After accurate detection of estrus and 2 hours prior to mating, 2.5 mL of distilled water and 2.5 mL of GnRH were injected intramuscular to each ewe of the first (control) and second group, respectively. ...

The aim of this survey was to evaluate the frequency of pregnant ewes slaughtered in Khorram Abadabattoir and estimation of their gestational age. Over a period of five months in fall and winter, a totalnumber of 3046 uterine tracts were collected. Pregnancy was detected in 56.50% of ewes, 52.36% and 4.13% of which carried singleton and twins, respectively. The highest frequency of pregnancy wa...

A study was conducted to evaluate relative resistance of Dorper crossbred (DO), Katahdin (KA), St. Croix (SC), and Hampshire (HA) ewes to natural and experimental gastro-intestinal (GI) nematode infection over a 20-month period. The objective of Experiment 1 was to evaluate breeds for resistance to infection acquired naturally from mixed grass pastures. In Year 1 (May-December 2000) de-worming ...