Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 agriculture and natural resources research and education center of chaharmahal and bakhtiari

2 Associate Professor, Animal Science Research Department, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization( AREEO), Shahrekord, Iran

3 Associate Professor, Animal Sciences Researches Institute of Iran, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the reproductive responses to different flushing treatments in Lori-Bakhtiari ewe-lambs and mature ewes.For this purpose, a total of 55 ewe-lambs and 245 mature ewes in a flock containing 400 ewes, were selected and randomly divided into three groups. The treatments were as: 1; no flushing (control), 2;flushing with barley and 3;flushing with barley and fat. Flushing diets were offered from 2 weeks before to 3 weeks after ram introduction. The conception and parturition rates in ewe-lambs, were significantly affected by treatments (p<0.05) so that, ewe-lambs in the treatment 3, had the highest conception (95 %) and parturition (95 %) rates. The number of lambs born per ewe exposed, in ewe-lambs at the treatment 3 (122 %) was higher than (p<0.05) the treatment 2 (94 %) and the control (88 %) but, in mature ewes, statistical differences (p<0.05) were found just for ewes at the treatment 3 and the control ewes (118 vs. 102). The gestation length for ewe-lambs and mature ewes at all treatments, were similar. The multiple lambing rate was higher (p<0.01) in ewe-lambs at the treatment 3 (29 %) than two other treatments. But, differences between mature ewes at the treatments 3 and 2 for multiple lambing rates (23 and 18 % respectively), were not statistically significant. It seems therefore that, in Lori-Bakhtiari sheep, flushing of mature ewes with barley grain (with or without fat) and flushing of ewe-lambs with barley grain and fat supplement, will increase their reproductive performance.

Keywords

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