The specific changes in antral follicle numbers and wave-like development have remained unrevealed in cyclic ewes fed high-protein, high-energy lupin grain for 6 days during the luteal phase of the estrous cycle (i.e., short-term nutritional flushing).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe present study aimed to investigate the effect of maternal water restriction on sexual behavior, reproductive performance, and reproductive hormones of male rat offspring. Forty pregnant female rats were divided into two equal groups: Control (C) and water-restricted (WR). Control dams had ad libitum water access throughout pregnancy, while dams in the WR group were subjected to 50% water-restriction from day 10 of pregnancy onwards.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe main goal of this study was to examine the utility of measuring systemic concentrations of steroid hormones, namely progesterone (P) and estrone sulfate (ES), for monitoring the progression of porcine pregnancy and predicting sow fertility. There were 3 subsets of artificially inseminated (AI'd) sows used in the present experiments: (i) animals sacrificed on gestational day 20 (gd20; n = 16) or (ii) gd50 (n = 16; Experiment 1), and (iii) animals maintained throughout pregnancy (n = 24; Experiment 2). Blood samples (10 mL) were drawn from the orbital sinus and the endocrine data determined at different time points around ovulation/artificial insemination (gd0 (first AI), gd1 (second AI), and gd2) and maternal recognition of pregnancy (gd11), as well as on gd20 and gd50 (during 2 periods of increased embryonic/fetal mortality in swine) were examined for correlations with the numbers of healthy, arrested, and reabsorbing embryos (Experiment 1) or with the number of live, stillborn, and mummified piglets recorded at farrowing (Experiment 2).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTwo experiments were conducted to assess the influence of sesame meal (SM) feeding on nutrient digestibility, N balance, milk production and composition, ewes' body weight change, and growth performance of lambs. In experiment 1, 18 ewe lambs were randomly distributed into three diets to evaluate the effects of soybean meal replacement with SM on nutrient intake, digestibility, and N balance. Treatments were no SM (SM0), 7.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of feeding low (LO)- or high (HI)-fiber diets supplemented with (SC) on nutrient intake, digestibility, nitrogen balance, rumen fluid pH, and serum concentrations of glucose and urea nitrogen in Awassi female lambs in a 2×2 factorial arrangement of treatments.
Materials And Methods: Experimental diets were as follows: (1) LO-fiber diet with no SC supplementation (-LO), (2) LO-fiber diet supplemented with SC (+LO), (3) HI-fiber diet with no SC supplementation (-HI), or (4) HI-fiber diet supplemented with SC (+HI). Eight female lambs were used in a replicated 4×4 Latin square design with 15-day experimental periods (10-day adaptation period and 5-day collection period).