Genetic diversity of United States Rambouillet, Katahdin and Dorper sheep.

Background: Managing genetic diversity is critically important for maintaining species fitness. Excessive homozygosity caused by the loss of genetic diversity can have detrimental effects on the reproduction and production performance of a breed. Analysis of genetic diversity can facilitate the identification of signatures of selection which may contribute to the specific characteristics regarding the health, production and physical appearance of a breed or population.

The who and the where: Attention to identities and locations in groups.

While it is widely accepted that the single gaze of another person elicits shifts of attention, there is limited work on the effects of multiple gazes on attention, despite real-world social cues often occurring in groups. Further, less is known regarding the role of unequal reliability of varying social and nonsocial information on attention. We addressed these gaps by employing a variant of the gaze cueing paradigm, simultaneously presenting participants with three faces.

Reducing fecal egg count through selective breeding alters dorper lamb response to Haemonchus contortus in an artificial challenge trial.

Infection by gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN), particularly Haemonchus contortus, can be detrimental to sheep health and performance. Genetic susceptibility to GIN varies between breeds, with those lacking high levels of natural resistance often requiring frequent anthelmintic treatment when facing parasitic challenge. Genetic technology can serve as a tool to decrease GIN susceptibility via selection for sheep with reduced fecal egg count (FEC) estimated breeding values (EBVs).

Sonographer-guided frozen embryo transfer vs ultrasound-assisted frozen embryo transfer - A randomised controlled study.

Background: The use of ultrasound to guide placement of the embryo during in vitro fertilisation (IVF) is important, but there are times where a good image cannot be obtained. Having a trained sonographer perform the ultrasound may therefore improve the success of embryo transfer.

Aim: To determine whether the routine use of a sonographer to guide embryo transfer is superior to standard care.

Effect of progesterone infused controlled internal drug releasing (CIDR) device and timing of gonadotropin stimulation using P.G. 600 on reproductive success in ewes bred out of season.

Objectives of this study were to determine effects of exogenous progesterone (via controlled internal drug releasing devices; CIDR) in combination with exogenous gonadotropins (PMSG/hCG) use either at CIDR removal or 1 d before CIDR removal to induce estrus and cyclicity and subsequently enhance the proportion of ewes lambing, lambing rate, prolificacy, and days to lambing in ewes bred out of season. Multiparous ewes ( = 414) were randomly assigned to one of four treatments: untreated (, = 122), 7 d CIDR (, = 97), 7 d CIDR plus P.G.