Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-pftt2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-05-18T05:34:08.149Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Hormonal control of reproduction in sheep

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

I. Gordon
I. Gordon
Affiliation:
Faculty of Agriculture, Lyons Farm, University College, Dublin
Get access

Extract

In summer 1973, the sheep farmer in most parts of the Irish Republic could telephone his local cattle Artificial Insemination (AI) station and ask for a technician to treat his ewes for ‘early-lamb’ (December/January) production with intravaginal sponges and pregnant mare's serum gonadotrophin (PMSG). The 60 p per ewe service, which first became available at that time, covered two visits by the technician: the first to insert sponges; the second, 14 days later, to withdraw them and administer the gonadotrophin. On the basis of considerable experimental evidence, the farmer could expect about 60 to 70% of ewes treated to conceive to first services and lamb within a short period of each other, and some 80% to produce offspring to the combined first and second services. The scheme, based on natural service, was used by several hundred farmers in that first year of operation, and was made available on a similar basis again in 1974. The introduction of this cheap, effective and simple technique for the hormonal control of reproduction in sheep was the result of considerable activity over the years by Dr Sean Crowley and his staff in An Foras Taluntais and various workers in University College, Dublin (UCD). Due credit must be given, however, to the Irish Department of Agriculture, which sponsored extensive field testing of controlled breeding techniques in 197/172, and subsequently arranged with cattle AI stations to provide countrywide coverage on a fee per ewe basis from 1973.

Type
60th Meeting, Harrogate, 24 to 26 March 1975: Report of Symposium on Harmonal Control of Reproduction in Farm Livestock
Information
Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Production (1972) , Volume 4 , January 1975 , pp. 79 - 93
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Production 1975

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Allison, A. J. 1974. Some techniques for increasing reproductive rates in sheep and their application in the industry. Proc. N.Z. Soc. Anim. Prod. 34: 167–174.Google Scholar
Barlow, M., Pryce-Jones, D. and Reed, H. C. B. 1974. MLC sheep AI field trials: a comparison of milk and egg-yolk diluents. Vet. Rec. 94: 159–160.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bosc, M. J. 1973. A review of methods of inducing parturition in the ewe and cow. Revue Med. Vet. 149: 1463–1480.Google Scholar
Colas, G. 1975. The use of progestagens in the ewe after natural and artificial insemination. In Control of Sexual Cycles in Domestic Animals. INRA, Nouzilly (in press).Google Scholar
Colas, G., Dauzier, L., Courot, M., Ortavant, R. and Signoret, J. P. 1968. Results obtained while investigating some important factors in A.I. in the sheep. Annls Zootech. 17: 47–57.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Colas, G., Laszczka, A., Brice, G. and Ortavant, R. 1972. Seasonal variations in semen production in the ram. Acta Agra Sylv. Zootech. 12 (2): 3–15.Google Scholar
Colas, G., Thmonier, J., Courot, M. and Ortavant, R. 1973. Fertility, prolificacy and fecundity during the breeding season of ewes artificially inseminated after treatment with fluorogestone acetate. Annls Zootech. 22: 441–451.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Colas, G., Brice, G. and Guerin, Y. 1974. Recent progress in sheep artificial insemination. Bull. Tech. Inform. Minist. Agric. No. 294 pp. 795–800.Google Scholar
Condon, P. B. 1974. Studies in ram semen evaluation and set-time A.I. in sheep. M. Agr. Sc. Thesis, N.U.I., Dublin.Google Scholar
Corteel, M. and Thimonier, J. 1975. Effects of PGF2α infusion on luteal cell ultrastructures and progesterone secretion. In Control of Sexual Cycles in Domestic Animals. INRA, Nouzilly (in press).Google Scholar
Cumming, I. A., Blockey, M. A., Brown, J. M., Catt, K. J., Goding, J. R. and Kaltenbrach, C. C. 1970. The release of LH in ewes following the withdrawal of intravaginal sponges containing progestagen. Proc. Aust. Soc. Anim. Prod. 8: 283–288.Google Scholar
Daly, P. J. 1966. Sheep husbandry survey in Kilmaine, Co. Mayo. An Foras Taluntais, Dublin.Google Scholar
Dziuk, P. J. and Cook, B. 1966. Passage of steroids through silicone rubber. Endocrinology 78: 208–211.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gordon, I. 1970. Controlled breeding in sheep–its potential application under Irish farming conditions. Ir. vet. J. 24: 277–241.Google Scholar
Gordon, I. 1971. Induction of early breeding in sheep by standard and modified progestagen- PMS treatments. J. agric. Set, Camb. 76: 337–341.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gordon, I. 1974. Controlled breeding in sheep. Ir. vet. J. 28:118–126.Google Scholar
Gordon, I. 1975a. The use of progestagens in sheep bred by natural and artificial insemination. In Control of Sexual Cycles in Domestic Animals. INRA, Nouzilly (in press).Google Scholar
Gordon, I. 1975b. Problems and prospects in cattle egg transfer. Ir. vet. J. (in press).Google Scholar
Hawk, H. W. 1973. Uterine motility and sperm transport in the estrous ewe after prostaglandin induced regression of corpora lutea. J . Anim. Sci. 37: 1380–1385.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hearnshaw, H., Restall, B. J., Nancarrow, C. D. and Mattner, P. E. 1974. Synchronization of oestrus in cattle, sheep and goats using a prostaglandin analogue. Proc. Aust. Soc. Anim. Prod. 10: 242–245.Google Scholar
Hulet, C. V. 1972. A rectal-abdominal palpation technique for diagnosing pregnancy in the ewe. J. Anim. Sci. 35: 814–819.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jennings, J. J. 1973. Effect of progestagen treatment, number of matings and the time of mating on fertility in sheep. A. Rep. anim.prod. Divn., 1973, An Foras Taluntais, Dublin.Google Scholar
Jennings, J. J. and Crowley, J. P. 1970. The mating of hormone-treated sheep. Anim. Prod. 12: 357 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Jennings, J. J. and Crowley, J. P. 1972. The influence of mating management on fertility in ewes following progesterone-PMS treatment. Vet. Rec. 90: 495–498.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Joyce, M. J. B. 1972. A comparison of three different mating systems. Proc. 1th. int. Congr. Anim. Reprod. A.I. {Munich), 2: 935–938.Google Scholar
Keane, M. G. 1974. Effect of progestagen-PMS hormone treatment on reproduction in ewe-lambs. Ir. J. agric. Res. 13: 39–48.Google Scholar
Keane, M. G. 1975. Use of forage crops in early fat lamb production. Ir. J. agric. Res. 13: 251–262.Google Scholar
Leman, A. A., Dziuk, P. J. and Doane, B. B. 1970. Synchronization of estrus and shortening of the interval between lambings by inducation of estrus and ovulation during anestrus. J. Am. vet. med. Ass. 157: 1574–1576.Google Scholar
Lewis, P. E., Bolt, D. J. and Inskeep, E. K. 1974. Pattern of LH release in progestintreated ewes. J. Anim. Sci. 38: 1204–1209.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mauleon, P. 1974. New trends in the control of reproduction in the bovine. Livest. Prod. Sci. 1: 117–131.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McClelland, T. H. and Quirke, J. F. 1971. Artificial insemination and natural service at a predetermined time in cyclic sheep treated with SC-9880/Progesterone sponges. Anim. Prod. 13:323–327.Google Scholar
Newender, G. D., Roche, J., Foster, D. L. and Midgley, A. B. 1968. Radioimmunoassay of serum levels of LH during the cycle and early pregnancy in ewes. Proc. Soc. exp. BiolMed. 129: 901–902.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pelletier, J. and Thimonier, J. 1973. Comparison of the induced preovulatory LH discharge in lactating and dry sheep during seasonal anoestrus. J. Reprod. Fert. 33: 310–313.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Robertson, H. A. and Sarda, I. R. 1971. A very early pregnancy test for mammals; its application to the cow, ewe and sow. J. Endocr. 49: 407–419.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robinson, J. J. 1974. Intensifying ewe productivity. Proc. Br. Soc. Anim. Prod. 31–40.Google Scholar
Robinson, T. J. 1965. Use of progestagen-impregnated sponges inserted intravaginally or subcutaneously for the control of the oestrous cycle in the sheep. Nature, Lond., 206: 39–41.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Robinson, T. J. 1967. Conclusions. In Control of the Ovarian Cycle in the Sheep (ed. Robinson, T. J.). Sydney Univ. Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robinson, T. J. 1973. Contraception and sperm transport in domestic animals. INSERM Colloq., Nov. 1973, 26: 453–478.Google Scholar
Robinson, T. J. 1974. The present status of applied reproductive physiology in animal production. Proc. N.Z. Soc. Anim. Prod. 34: 37–44.Google Scholar
Robinson, T. J., Quinltvan, T. D. and Baxter, C. 1968. The relationship between dose of progestagen and method of preparation of intravaginal sponges on their effectiveness for the control of ovulation in the ewe. J. Reprod. Fert. 17: 471–476.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Saumande, J. and Thimonier, J. 1972. Early pregnancy diagnosis in the ewe by measuring the progesterone in the peripheral blood. Annls Biol. anim. Biochim. Biophys. 12:661–665.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tervit, H. R., Rowson, L. E. A. and McDonld, M. F. 1974. Application of the egg transfer technique in cattle and sheep. Proc. N.Z. Soc. Anim. Prod. 34: 54–60.Google Scholar
Thimonier, J., Mauleon, P., Cognie, Y. and Ortavant, R. 1968a. Induction of oestrus and pregnancy in ewes during post-partum anoestrus with the aid of vaginal sponges impregnated with fluorogestone acetate. Annls Zootech. 17: 257–273.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thimonier, J., Mauleon, P., Cognie, Y. and Ortavant, R. 1968b. Induction of oestrus in ewe-lambs with the aid of vaginal sponges impregnated with fluorogestone acetate. Annls Zootech. 17: 275–288.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Turner, G. B. and Hindson, J. G. 1975. An assessment of a method of manual pregnancy diagnosis in the ewe. Vet. Rec. 96: 56–58.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wishart, D. F. and Young, I. M. 1974. Artificial insemination of progestin (SC 21009)- treated cattle at predetermined times. Vet. Rec. 95: 503–508.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Xenoulis, P. C, Minotakis, C. S. and Tsamis, C. 1972. The evaluation of progesterone implants and MAP-impregnated sponges for the advancement of the breeding season in ewes. Proc. 1th. int. Congr. Anim. Reprod. AI (Munich), 2: 990–994.Google Scholar