National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS)
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PRINT ISSN : 2319-7692
Online ISSN : 2319-7706 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorijcmas@gmail.com submit@ijcmas.com Editor-in-chief: Dr.M.Prakash Index Copernicus ICV 2018: 95.39 NAAS RATING 2020: 5.38 |
Postpartum anestrus is one of the major reproductive limiting factor for flock productivity in indigenous sheep breeds. Timely resumption of ovarian cyclicity following lambing is essential for improving reproductive efficiency and reducing lambing intervals. Hormonal estrus synchronization protocols have been widely employed to enhance estrus induction and fertility. However, comparative information on their efficacy in postpartum Nellore Brown ewes under field conditions is limited. The present study was undertaken to compare the efficacy of a vaginal progesterone sponge protocol and the Select-Synch protocol for estrus induction and reproductive performance in postpartum Nellore Brown ewes. Sixty clinically healthy postpartum Nellore Brown ewes (2–4 years of age) maintained under semi-intensive management at the Livestock Research Station, Mamnoor, Telangana, were randomly allocated into three groups (n = 20 each). Group I received an intravaginal progesterone sponge containing 350 mg natural progesterone for 12 days, Group II was treated with the Select-Synch protocol consisting of GnRH (4 µg buserelin acetate) on Day 0 followed by PGF₂α (125 µg cloprostenol sodium) on Day 7, while Group III served as untreated controls. Estrus response, onset of estrus, estrus intensity, duration of estrus, estrus synchrony, conception rate, non-return rate, and pregnancy were evaluated. Pregnancy was confirmed by transabdominal ultrasonography on Day 45 after mating. Estrus response differed significantly (P < 0.01) among the groups, with the highest response observed in the vaginal progesterone sponge group (70.00%), followed by the Select-Synch group (50.00%) and the control group (20.00%). The onset of estrus occurred significantly earlier (P < 0.05) in hormonally treated ewes, with mean intervals of 38.00 ± 4.63 hrs in the Select-Synch group and 45.00 ± 7.08 hrs in the progesterone sponge group compared with 90.00 ± 18.00 hrs in controls. Estrus intensity was significantly greater (P < 0.05) in progesterone sponge-treated ewes (7.50 ± 0.65) than in Select-Synch-treated (6.10 ± 0.24) and control ewes (4.00 ± 0.22). Overall conception rates were 55.00%, 40.00%, and 20.00% in Groups I, II, and III, respectively, although the differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Pregnancy diagnosis by ultrasonography confirmed the conception results. The vaginal progesterone sponge protocol was more effective than the Select-Synch protocol in inducing estrus and improving overall reproductive performance in postpartum Nellore Brown ewes. Although Select-Synch resulted in an earlier onset of estrus, progesterone sponge treatment produced superior estrus response, greater estrus intensity, and higher overall conception rates. These findings indicate that intravaginal progesterone sponge synchronization is an effective reproductive management strategy for enhancing breeding efficiency in postpartum Nellore Brown sheep under field conditions.
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