[Survey on efficacy of melatonin implant in the Atabi Rams on improvement of reproductive performance in the anestrus ewes]

ABSTRACT

Evaluation of using melatonin implant in rams in non-breeding season on improvement of reproductive performance in the ewes. Clinical trial. One hudered and seventy seven Atabi ewes and 8 Atabi rams. This study carried out in the following stages Stage 1 177 ewes were complete randomly divided in two groups. Stage 2 Four rams treated with 12 melatonin implant [each rams received three implant contain 54 mg melatonin] and another four rams had not any treatment. Stage 3 After 35 days, four rams which received melatonin [treatment group] introduced into the herd of 91 ewes. Four rams that had not any treatment [control group] introduced into herd of 86 ewes. Then, 60 days later rams were separated from herds and one month later all ewes examined for pregnancy through ultrasonography. Results were analyzed by chi-square test. Fertility, prolificacy and fecundity values in the treatment group [ewes wich mated with melatonin treated rams] and control group [ewes which mated with rams without melatonin treatment] were 87.1%, 103.8%, 91.2% and 88.4%, 102.6%, 90.7%, respectively. Moreover, there were not significant differences between them. We concluded that using melatonin implant in the Atabi rams had not good results on reproductive index in the ewes