The use of oxytocin to cause cervical dilation for transcervical insemination in nulliparous goats: Improving pregnancy and kidding rates.

To evaluate the effect of oxytocin as a cervical dilator, a study was carried out on nulliparous goats inseminated transcervically at the beginning of the breeding season. One hundred sixteen nulliparous goats with a mean live weight of 33.4 ± 0.68 kg and an age of 13.7 ± 0.37 months were used. The goats were exposed to active bucks of proven fertility for a period of 14 d in order to induce oestrus. One week later, the Ovsynch protocol was applied, which consisted of the application of 20 mg of gonadorelin (Day Zero), 0.075 mg of cloprostenol (Day 7) and of a second dose of 20 mg of gonadorelin applied on Day 9. Artificial insemination (AI) was performed 16 hr later. Three treatments were evaluated: T1 = 50 IU saline, T2 = 25 IU oxytocin; T3 = 50 IU of oxytocin, intravenously applied 10-15 min before AI. The time required to inseminate each treated goat from groups T2 and T3 was 49.56 and 56.25 s, respectively, versus 85.78 s needed for the goats from group T1 (p < .0001). In the T1 group of goats, the insemination catheter was inserted 2.1 cm into the cervical canal and in goats from groups T2 and T3 it reached 3.41 and 3.77 cm into the cervical canal, respectively (p = .02). Pregnancy rates and prolificacy (kids/doe) were higher (p = .02) for groups T2 (82.93%; 1.16) and T3 (76.92%; 1.21) respectively than for control goats (61.11%; 0.69). In conclusion, the intravenous administration of oxytocin led to greater dilation and depth of cervical penetration, obtaining higher pregnancy rates and prolificacy.

Nutraceutic effect of free condensed tannins of Lysiloma acapulcensis (Kunth) benth on parasite infection and performance of Pelibuey sheep.

Forty-five Pelibuey sheep were experimentally infested with nematodes to evaluate the effect of three free condensed tannin (FCT) levels of Lysiloma acapulcensis on fecal egg counts (FECs), packed cell volumes (PCV), ocular mucosa colors (OMC), average daily gain (ADG), and adult nematode count. Five treatments were used: 12.5, 25.0, and 37.5 mg of FCT kg-1 of body weight (BW); sterile water (control); and ivermectine (0.22 mg kg-1 of BW) as chemical group. The data were processed through repeated measurement analysis. Even though the three FCT doses decreased (P < 0.05) the FEC, the highest reduction was obtained with 37.5 mg kg-1 of BW. No differences were observed in PCV and OMC. Higher ADG (P < 0.05) was observed with 37.5 mg kg-1 of BW of FCT. The count of adult nematodes (females and males) in the higher dose of FCT was similar to chemical treatment. Dose of 37.5 mg kg-1 of BW decreased the parasite infection and improved the lamb performance. Therefore, this dose could be used as a nutraceutic product in sheep production.

Systematic review of hormonal strategies to improve fertility in rams.

Reviewing the current state of knowledge on reproductive performance and productive traits in rams has many advantages. First, the compilation of this information will serve as a literature resource for scientists conducting research around the world and will contribute to the understanding of the data collected and interpreted by researchers on the different hormonal strategies used to improve reproductive performance in rams. Second, it will allow scientists to identify current knowledge gaps and set future research priorities in ram reproduction. Rams play an important role in the global flock economy, but their reproductive analysis has been limited in the use of hormonal technologies to increase the productivity of sheep flocks. In this review, we cite the most important works on six hormones that, in one way or another, modify the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis, at different doses, in and out of the reproductive season, breeds, application methods, among other factors. The overall aim is to increase the reproductive efficiency of rams in different scenarios and, in some cases, of other species due to the lack of limited information on rams.

Selenium Injection in Dam Rabbits During Gestation Has Important Effects on Progeny Productive Performance.

Micromineral elements have a fundamental participation in the processes of organogenesis and fetal development. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of selenium (Se) injection in pregnant female rabbits, during organogenesis or rapid fetal growth, on the productive performance of their progeny. An experiment was carried out with 30 New Zealand female rabbits, with an average age of 6 months. At the end of mating (day 0), using a randomized complete design, the female rabbits were distributed into three experimental groups, which were assigned to the following treatments: Control, female rabbits were injected intramuscularly (IM) with 0.5 ml of saline on days 13 and 23 of gestation; Early administration, female rabbits that were injected IM with Se (0.10 mg/kg BW) on day 13 of gestation (organogenesis) and 0.5 ml of saline on day 23 of gestation; and Late administration, female rabbits that were injected IM with 0.5 ml of saline on day 13 of gestation and Se (0.10 mg/kg BW) on day 23 of gestation (rapid fetal growth). No differences were found on kindling performance of dams and pre-weaning growth of rabbit offspring. However, an injection of Se to pregnant rabbits affected the growth and development of their progeny, with the treatment leading to changes in the yield of some carcass traits (forelimb weight and forelimb muscle weight) and weights of some organs (liver, lungs, and spleen). The Se treatment (both early and late) also resulted in lower concentrations of glucose, triglycerides, and cholesterol when compared to the control group. These effects were different when Se injection was performed during organogenesis or rapid fetal development. The results from this study suggest that there are beneficial effects of gestational Se injection of rabbit dams on important productive traits of their progeny.

Sexual performance and semen quality of pubertal lambs treated with different weaning methods.

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of the weaning method on lamb stress, body weight, sexual behavior, and semen quality of Saint Croix male lambs. The present study was carried out during the late spring and summer of 2018 in the northeast of Mexico. Sixty male lambs born as twins or triplets (3.2  ±  0.6 kg birth weight) and weaned at 60 d of age (19.21  ±  1.8 kg weaning weight) were divided into two weaning methods: complete separation from the dams (CS; the lambs were moved to a pen that was at 500 m of distance from the dams) and separation with contact from the dams (SCD); the lambs were physically separated by a steel mesh that prevented the lambs from having the possibility of sucking milk from their mothers, but they maintained permanent visual and auditory contact. Cortisol levels were determined 3 d before and 7 d after weaning. Lambs were evaluated as 3-month-old lambs for sexual behavior and semen quality for 9 weeks. The effects of the weaning method (M), week (W), and the interaction M  × â€¯W were significant on body weight and cortisol levels ( P < 0.001 ). The SCD lambs had higher cortisol levels at 3, 5, and 7 d after weaning than CS lambs ( P < 0.001 ). The CS lambs had higher body weight during the first 4 weeks after weaning than SCD lambs ( P < 0.001 ). The weaning method had no effect on scrotal circumference, sexual behavior, and semen quality traits, except for progressive sperm motility, being better for the lambs that were completely separated ( P < 0.05 ). The results from this study show that complete separation of lambs and ewes at weaning is an effective method to reduce lamb stress and improve lamb growth after weaning, but it did not have long-term effects on sexual behavior and semen quality of Saint Croix male lambs.

Effects of exogenous enzymes and application method on nutrient intake, digestibility and growth performance of Pelibuey lambs.

Pelibuey sheep is the main breed in the tropical and subtropical regions of Mexico, and high demand of sheep meat has favored the finishing of lambs in feedlots with diets containing high levels of grains. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of exogenous enzymes (EE) and application method on nutrient intake and digestibility and performance of growing Pelibuey lambs. Treatments were based on comparison of two different methods of adding an enzyme product (sprayed on the total mixed ration or applied orally to the lambs) versus control treatment (no added enzyme). Twenty-one Pelibuey lambs, weighing 15.7 kg (SD = 1.8 kg) initial body weight, were individually housed in shaded pens and assigned randomly to one of the three enzyme treatments. At the end of study (lasting for 45 days), three lambs from each treatment were randomly selected and adapted to a pants and harness designed for fecal collection to measure nutrient digestibilities. Total body gain and average daily gain were affected (P < 0.05) by supplemental EE. The application method of EE had significant (P < 0.05) effect on FCE and FCR, but no effects were observed on nutrient intake. Supplemental EE did improve (P < 0.05) the digestibilities of dry matter, organic matter, neutral and acid detergent fiber, but no differences were observed in crude protein digestibility. The application method of EE had significant (P < 0.05) effect on the digestibility of acid detergent fiber. Supplemental EE can improve body weight gain and nutrient digestibilities without affecting nutrient intake in Pelibuey lambs, but the results of feed conversion efficiency and acid detergent fiber digestibility depend on the application method used of the EE.

In vitro gas production and dry matter degradability of diets consumed by goats with or without copper and zinc supplementation.

An in vitro gas production technique was used to evaluate the effects of copper and zinc supplementation on the amount and rate of gas production, dry matter degradability (IVDMD), utilization of metabolizable energy (ME), and ruminal fermentation patterns using rumen fluid from four Boer male goats as inoculum. The goats were fed twice daily at 07:00 and 19:00 h a total mixed ration containing 10.3 and 22.5 mg/kg DM of Cu and Zn, respectively. This diet was incubated in vitro for 96 h with four treatments being: control, Cu (21.7), Zn (5.6), and Cu-Zn (21.7 and 5.6) which was provided as a mineral premix. Data were analyzed as a completely randomized design. Rates of gas production (RGP) at 4 (RGP(4h)) and 6 h (RGP(6h)) and gas production (GP) at 24 (GP(24h)) and 48 h (GP(48h)) differed (p < 0.01) among treatments. An addition of Cu increased the RGP(4h), RGP(6h), GP(24h), and GP(48h) (p < 0.0001). The Cu treatment had the highest IVDMD and control the lowest (p < 0.05), and the Cu treatment was the highest values of ME and SCFA. The addition of Cu to the in vitro ruminal fermentation increased gas production and efficiency of energy use.

Características Físico Químicas y Composición de la Leche de Cabras Mestizas Canarias en Condiciones Tropicales / Physics and Chemistry Characteristics, and Composition of Goat Milk of Canarian Goats on Tropical Condition

Los factores que afectan las características y composición de la leche de cabra han sido bien estudiados en países de clima templado, pero no en países tropicales como Venezuela. El presente trabajo evaluó el efecto de grupo racial y de algunos factores no genéticos sobre las características fisicoquímicas y composición de la leche de cabras mestizas canarias, para lo cual, se analizaron 758 muestras de leche. Los datos se recolectaron en un periodo de nueve años. Las muestras fueron tomadas de un rebaño caprino multirracial confinado, ubicado en Maracay, en el estado Aragua, Venezuela (10º 16’ 25,30’’ N y 67º 36’ 35’’ O). Los resultados se analizaron mediante un modelo estadístico lineal aditivo, con el padre como efecto aleatorio y como efectos fijos, la edad al parto (EP), año (AP) y mes (MP) de parto, tipo de parto (TP), grupo racial (GR); y las covariables días en producción (efectos lineal y cuadrático). Las medias de las características fueron: crioscopía (ºC): -0,56; acidez (mLNaOH 0,1N/100 mL leche): 19,12; cloruros: (%): 0,22; WMT (mm): 10,75; pH: 6,55; composición de la leche (%): grasa: 4,32; proteína: 4,00; caseína: 2,63; humedad: 86,69; sólidos totales: 13,30; sólidos no grasos: 9,04; cenizas: 0,77 y lactosa: 4,27. Los resultados del estudio, muestran que todos los efectos fijos estudiados, afectaron en forma variable las características y la composición de la leche. El año de parto de la cabra, fue el factor que más influyó sobre la variación de las características de la leche; mientras que el GR ½ Canarias ½ Alpino Francés, estuvo por encima de los demás genotipos en cuanto al contenido porcentual de los diferentes sólidos de la leche.

Factors affecting the characteristics and composition of goat milk have been well studied in template countries, but not in tropical countries, such as Venezuela. The purpose of the present investigation was to evaluate the effect of breed group and some non-genetic factors on both characteristics and composition of milk from Canary crossbred goats in tropical conditions. To carry out the study, a total of 758 milk samples were analyzed. Data were collected in a period of nine years and milk samples were taken from a multiracial confined goat herd, located in Maracay, the State of Aragua, Venezuela (10° 16’ 25.30’’ N and 67º 36’ 35’’ W). Data were analyzed by a linear additive statistical model, with sire as random effect; age at calving (EC), year of calving (YC), month of calving (MC), prolificity (P), and breed group (BG), as fixed effects, and the covariates production days, as linear and quadratic effects. The means of the characteristics and composition (%) of goat milk were: cryoscopy (°C): -0.56; acidity (0.1 mL NaOH N/100 mL of milk): 19.12; chlorides (%): 0.22; WMT (mm): 10.75; pH: 6.55. Milk composition (%): fat: 4.32; protein: 4.00; casein: 2.63; humidity: 86.69; total solids: 13.30; non-fat solids: 9.04; ash: 0.77; and lactose: 4.27. The results of this study showed that all the fixed effects studied affected in a variable form, the characteristics and components of milk, being YC the most influential factor on the variation of the characteristic of milk. The BG “½ Canarian ½ Alpine” highlighted above all other genotypes, regarding the percentage content of the different solids of milk.