A. Zare Shahneh, H. Sadeghi Panah,
Volume 8, Issue 4 (1-2005)
Abstract
In order to determine the effects of fetal growth rate on plasma concentrations of glucose, triglyceride, total protein, and urea in ewes, this experiment was conducted at Animal Research Station of Tehran University Agricultural College. Sixteen pregnant Varamini ewes were allocated to 4 groups (n=4). During the breeding season, ewes of group 1 were mated by Varamini ram, animals in groups 2, 3 and 4 were mated by Moghani, Afshari and Shall rams, respectively. Because of the different genetic capacities of sires, fetal growth rate was expected to be different in various groups. Ewes in all groups were fed the same ration, so it was expected that differences in fetal growth rates would affect the mobilization of maternal fat and protein storage and blood levels of their metabolites. Blood samples were collected from jugular veins of ewes during the last 8 weeks of pregnancy and first week after lambing.
Plasma levels of glucose, cholestrol, and triglycerid were not different among 4 groups. Total plasma protein in ewes carrying heavier fetuses was lower than in ewes with lighter fetuses (p<0.05). Conversely, plasma urea concentrations in ewes with heavier fetuses were higher than in ewes with lighter fetuses.
M. Vatankhah, M. A. Talebi, M. A. Edris,
Volume 11, Issue 41 (10-2007)
Abstract
In this study 5025 records from the Lori-Bakhtiari sheep stud were used to predict phenotypic, genetic and environmental change in ewe traits from 1989 to 2004. Best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) of breeding values were estimated by Drivative Free Restricted Maximum Likelihood (DFREML) procedure using single and multi-trait animal model. Phenotypic, genetic and environmental trends were calculated by regressing of the average phenotypic values, predicted breeding values and environmental values in the year of ewe birth respectively. The estimated phenotypic trends were –0.1223 kg for ewe body weight, -0.0415 kg for greasy fleece weight, 0.6639% for conception rate, 0.0003 for number of lambs born per ewe lambing, 0.0094 for number of lambs weaned per ewe lambing, 0.0380 kg for total birth weight per ewe exposed and 0.4227 kg for total weaning weight per ewe exposed. The estimated genetic trends were 0.0603 kg, -0.0004 kg, 0.0183%, -0.0012, -0.0007, 0.0030 kg and 0.0211 kg from single trait analysis and 0.0549 kg, -0.0006 kg, 0.0089%, -0.0008, -0.0008, 0.0030 kg and 0.0230 kg respectively from multi-trait analysis. The estimated phenotypic and environmental trends were significant but genetic trends were not significant (P<0.05) for often traits.
