TRANS-CERVICAL ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION IN EWES DURING OUT OF BREEDING SEASON

The study was conducted to determine the effect of transcervical insemination with frozen thawed semen in synchronized ewes at the anestrus phase. A total of 100 ewes (crossbred of Akkaraman, Sakız, Border Leichester, Lincoln, Ile de France) at the Animal Science Research Center of the Ankara University were used. Estrus was synchronized with progestagen-impregnated vaginal sponges for 14–16 days in January. Following synchronisation of oestrus, 750 IU PMSG was injected per ewe. Ewes were artificially inseminated with frozen semen after 3–4 h intracervical administration 50–100 mg of PGE1 analogue (misoprostol) for each. Lambing, infertility and prolificacy rates were found as 44.87%, 55.12% and 91.02% in natural-mated group and 68.18%, 31.81% and 109.09% in the misoprostol group, respectively. Fertility rate was numerically increased in the misoprostol group compared to the control. Infertility rate was also numerically decreased in the treated group in comparison with the control ewes. The results indicated that acceptable fertilization and pregnancy rates could be obtained in estrous synchronized and transcervically inseminated ewes after misoprostol treatment.