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ISSUE: Ewe fertility

Solution name: Photoperiod manipulation in sheep

Country: Romania

Dairy or/and meat sheep: Dairy and meat

Source of information: Industry and research

Level of solution: 

Knowledge X

Practical X

Aim: Achieve fertility in ewes during out of normal breeding season

Description:

Exposure to an artificial stimulatory sequence of day length changes can be used to successfully breed ewes out-of-season. Specifically, exposing females to 15 to 16 hours of light during late winter/early spring for 45 to 60 days, followed by exposure to 25 to 30 days of a short-day photoperiod consisting of 8 to 9 hours of light and 15 to 16 hours of darkness, will induce fertile estrus in ewes.

Expected benefits: 60-80% of the ewes exposed will express estrous.

Prerequisites and/or limits (knowledge, training, capabilities, cost, management, facilities, equipment, etc.)

– While photoperiod manipulation can be quite effective, it requires an enclosed barn with electricity, three months of photoperiod manipulation and it does not result in synchronized estrus.

This post is also available in: Spanish