A postal survey of abortion in Turkish sheep

Abstract

In order to investigate the frequency of abortion in Turkish sheep flocks, a self-administered questionnaire was sent in 1994 to 2688 farmers in seven regions having flock sizes of more than 50 animals. Questions were asked about the occurrence and signs of abortion, flock management, feeding and vaccination, and whether the farmers kept other livestock. Farmers were also asked whether abortions had occurred in their own family. The overall response rate was 50.3%, ranging from 39.1% in southeast Anatolia to 57% in the Black Sea. Of 1330 respondents who answered the question (whether they have seen the abortion in their flocks or not), 85.7% observed abortion in their flock and 14% did not, while 0.3% did not know. The number of ewes aborted during the period from June 1994–1995 varied between 0 and 360 (mean 15.6, median 7). The median number of aborted ewes in proportion to the mated ones (AborMate) varied significantly between regions ( P<0.001), the lowest number occurring in Marmara (3.3%), and the highest number in southeast Anatolia (18%). The median values of AborMate in flocks with goats and flocks without goats were 10 and 6%, respectively ( P<0.001). Corresponding values for flocks with or without dogs were 7 and 10%, respectively ( P<0.05). The probability of reporting abortion in the farmer’s family increased if a goat was kept (odds ratio=1.71, P<0.001) and decreased if a dog was owned (odds ratio=0.70, P=0.021). There was a strong association between having observed abortion in sheep and experiencing abortion in the farm family.