A. A. Simplicio

Acasalamento entre ovelhas deslanadas e reprodutores especializados para corte: desempenho produtivo até a desmama

This trial was conducted to evaluate production levels of native breed ewes of Northeast Brazil mated to rams of specialized meat-type breeds. A total of 305 lambings from 134 ewes over three periods of mating were used to determine weaning rate, survival rate and live weight at weaning and total weight of weaned lamb. The hairsheep ewes were mated in a rotational scheme of the use of rams from Santa Ines, Hampshire-Down, Ile-de-France, Suffolk and Texel breeds. Live weight at weaning did not differ among lamb genotypes. Weaning rate was lower for Suffolk and Texel crossbred lambs. Whereas, the lowest survival rates were observed for Hampshire-Down and Ile-de-France crossbred lambs. There was a compensatory effect among the weight at birth, weaning weight; weaning and survival rate, so that the total weight of weaned lamb did not differ among lamb genotypes except for Hampshire Down crossbred, due to its lower survival rate (71.4%) as compared to Ile-de-France crossbred lambs. The mating throughout the rainy season accounted for the decreased levels of productivity of the ewes. The Santa Ines hairsheep lamb performance compared to the other specialized meat-type sheep breeds and could be indicated as ram breed in crossbreeding programs for hairsheep in Northeast Brazil.

Parâmetros escroto-testiculares e de sêmen em caprinos adultos submetidos à insulação escrotal

Ejaculations of twelve adult bucks, six Moxoto breed and six crossbred ½ Moxoto-Alpine Brown, kept in confinement were evaluated prior to and after insulation of scrotal sac through a plastic bag with double wall for 6.5 days. There was seminal degeneration in all animals, showed by reduction of spermatic concentration and drop of the forward individual motility (MIP) associated to high level of sperm morphological abnormalities and hence necrospermy. The MIP reached lower values in three weeks after beginning of the scrotal insulation when sperm vigor was also reduced and sperm abnormalities increased. Seminal degeneration occurred on the 4th week post-insulation. However, within 56-63 days post-insulation the MIP returned to normality. The sperm abnormalities began to appear seven days after the initiation of insulation. The semen volume oscillated during all experimental period and the increasing heat in the scrotal sac caused a series of physical and morphological changes on seminal cells that altered the semen quality.

Eficiência da recuperação de embriões e os efeitos de consecutivas colheitas sobre o aparelho reprodutor de doadoras da espécie caprina

The purpose of this trial was to compare the efficiency and effect of consecutive embryo recoveries by three different methods (T1 - transcervical; T2 laparoscopy and T3 laparotomy) on the reproductive activity of goat donors. Ten goats were allocated into each treatment (T1, T2 and T3) and submitted to three consecutive embryo recoveries. These were performed 56 days apart. The superovulation begun on 8th day of oestrus synchronization and all goats received 250 UI of porcine FSH splited into eight decreasing dosages at 12 hours intervals. The embryo recovery took place on the 5th or 6th day from the last mating. Fifty-six days after the third recovery of embryos, the animals were sacrified and the genital tract was evaluated. The time spent to recovery the embryos was 21min 32sec; 37min 14sec and 56min 22sec, respectively to T1; T2 and T3 (p<0.01). T3 showed the highest recovery rate of washing solution (83.7%), followed by T2 (72.2%) and T1 (64.3%) (p<0.05). Embryo recovery rate had as mean values, 57.1; 81.1 and 27.3%, respectivily to T1, T2 and T3. The variation ranged between 0 and 100%. Several factors affected the embryo recovery rate, such as the presence of demised corpora lutea, the ovulation rate and the presence of adhesions in the genital tract. Nonetheless, embryo recevery rate was acceptable in all treatments. The T1 caused eversion of endometrium and adherence between the uterine horn and epiploon in one animal, the T2 caused 30, 40 and 60% of endometrium eversion and 10, 10 and 70% adherence on genital tract, respectively, for the first, second and third embryo recovery. The T3 caused 80% of adherence on genital tract after the first embryo recovery and 100% after the second. It is possible to use the methods T1 and T2 to recovery embryos in goats.

Superovulação em caprinos da raça Moxotó com FSH-p

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar as taxas de manifestacao de sintomas de estro, de resposta superovulatoria e de recuperacao de embrioes em 20 cabras da raca Moxoto em tres tratamentos consecutivos, em intervalos de 56 dias. O ciclo estral das femeas foi sincronizado com esponjas vaginais contendo 60 mg de acetato de medroxiprogesterona (MGA) durante 11 dias e com 100 mg de cloprostenol (PGF2a ) administrado no nono dia. Neste dia, iniciou-se o tratamento superovulatorio com 250 UI de FSH-p por cabra, fracionadas em oito doses decrescentes, com intervalo de 12 horas. A repeticao do tratamento superovulatorio com FSH-p diminuiu a taxa de manifestacao de sintomas de estro, porem nao afetou a taxa de ovulacao e reduziu a taxa de regressao prematura de corpos luteos. A taxa de recuperacao de embrioes foi influenciada pela ocorrencia de regressao prematura de corpos luteos e pela acao das repetidas colheitas de embrioes sobre o genital. Nao foi possivel avaliar o efeito das repetidas superovulacoes sobre a taxa de recuperacao de embrioes.