Ovozoa: Journal of Animal Reproduction

Calf morbidity and mortality rates Associated risk factors in smallholder dairy farms in Kembata Tembaro zone, Southern Ethiopia

2024-06-05T13:23:04+07:00

A study was carried out in the Kembata Tembaro Zone of Southern Ethiopia, focusing on both prospective cohort and cross-sectional surveys. The objective was to measure the rates of calf sickness and death and to pinpoint the factors that contribute to these conditions. Over 180 days, 140 newborn calves from selected small-scale dairy farms were studied. The study evaluated the prevalence of illness, mortality, and specific diseases by calculating incidence rates. Results indicated a 41.7% risk of illness and a 9.5% mortality rate among calves. Factors such as the calf's condition at birth, birth location/environment, the surface on which the calf was born, timing of the first colostrum intake, maternal parity, calf breed, and the breeding service technique significantly influenced mortality rates. Similarly, these factors were also significantly linked to the crude morbidity rate. Calves born naturally were at a lower risk of sickness (HR=0.6, p=0.001) compared to those assisted. Calves born indoors had a lower risk of sickness (HR=0.9, p=0.008) than those born outdoors. Calves that received colostrum within six hours of birth had a lower risk of sickness (HR=0.6, p=0.009) than those that received it later. Additionally, the study found that the floor of the birth place, the mother's parity, the breed of the calf, and the technique of the breeding service were additional risk factors for calf sickness. The time of the first colostrum intake, the mother's parity, and the calf's birth condition were also significant risk factors for calf death.

Effect of methanol extract of cloves (Syzigium aromaticum) on Protein Gene Product 9.5 in the testes of rats (Rattus norvegicus) with induced cryptorchidism

2024-07-26T01:14:21+07:00

This study aimed to know the effect of cloves (Syzigium aromaticum) methanol extracts as an antioxidant on the germ cells of white rats (Rattus norvegicus) with induced cryptorchidism. The subjects of this study were 24 male white rats aged 21 days, who were divided into six groups. Rats were adapted for 5 days, after which cryptorchidism were induced. Cloves extract was given for 18 days and 36 days. On day-19 and day-37, rats were sacrificed and testicles were taken for Protein Gene Product (PGP) 9.5 detection by immunohistochemistry. These groups consisted of negative control group (given distilled water and sham surgery), positive control group (induction of cryptorchidism and given distilled water), and T treatment group (induction of cryptorchidism and given 70mg/kg bw cloves extract. Kruskal-Wallis test indicated a significant difference (p <0.05). The differences between treatments were shown based on the outcome of the Mann-Whitney test. Cloves acted as an antioxidant for cryptorchid testicular germ cells. It could be concluded that administering methanol extract of clove flowers could ameliorate the expression of PGP 9.5 in the testicular germ cells of white rats in a model of unilateral cryptorchidism.

Effect of PG-600 dose in cows with persistent corpus luteum treated with PGF2α and hCG

2024-08-15T16:57:25+07:00

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of administering a dose of gonadotropin (PG-600) in cows with persistent corpus luteum (PCL) which were treated with prostaglandin F2 α (PGF2α) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). This study used 20, three-year-old cows diagnosed with PCL, had recently given birth, and were not pregnant. Cows were randomly allocated into groups T0, T1, T2 and T3. Cows in all groups were injected with PGF2α (25 mg/cow). Simultaneously, cows in groups T1, T2 and T3 were also injected with PG-600 at doses of 100, 150 and 200 IU/cow respectively. PGF2α and PG-600 were injected when PCL was identified. After that, cows showing signs of estrus were injected with hCG (100 IU/cow) and artificially inseminated 12-18 hours after the appearance of signs of estrus. AI was conducted using frozen thawed semen. Sixty days following AI, a pregnancy examination was conducted using USG. Estrus was detected in all treated cows, while the pregnancy rates varied. Compared with other groups, the groups given 100 and 150 IU PG-600 produced higher pregnancy rates. It could be concluded that the combination of 25 mg PGF2α, 150 IU PG-600, and 100 IU hCG was the most effective treatment to produce high pregnancy rates in cows with persistent corpus luteum.