Cause for the Occurrence of Freemartin and Its Influence on Livestock Reproductive Performance

doi:10.7176/jnsr/12-21-03

Abstract

Livestock reproductive performance is a prerequisite for any successful livestock production program and it is depends up on the factors viz. parturition interval, ovarian activity, days open, fertility and age at first parturition, litter size and annual reproductive rate. However, the above mentioned factors are influenced directly or indirectly by the occurrence of freemartin animal within the flock or farm. The objective of this review was to organize the condensed information about the causes for the occurrence of freemartin, development and way of examining a freemartin animal and its influence on livestock reproductive performance. A freemartin is genetically female, but has many characteristics of a male. The ovaries of the freemartin do not develop correctly, and they remain very small, also the ovaries do not produce the hormones necessary to induce the behavioral signs of heat. The external vulvar region can range from a very normal looking female to a female that appears to be male. Usually, the vulva is normal except that in some animals an enlarged clitoris and large tufts of vulvar hair exist. It can be diagnosed in a number of ways ranging from simple examination of the placental membranes to chromosomal analysis. Understanding about the freemartin syndrome is important to take measure by the livestock keepers, farm managers or veterinarian to cull the heifer at her early age or keep it as a teaser bull and/or as draft animal. Keywords: Freemartin; Livestock; M asculinization; Reproductive Performance DOI: 10.7176/JNSR/12-21-03 Publication date: November 30 th 2021

Highlights

Livestock reproductive performance is a prerequisite for any successful livestock production program and undoubtedly there is no milk if birth does not occur, no meat and fiber if survival can’t be ensured [1]
Freemartins arise when vascular connections form between the placentae of developing heterosexual twin fetus XX/XY chimerism develops and there is masculinization of the female tubular reproductive tract to varying degrees and it occurring in twins of different sexes [3, 4]
Livestock reproductive performance is a prerequisite for any successful livestock production program and it depends on different reproductive factors

Summary

Introduction

Livestock reproductive performance is a prerequisite for any successful livestock production program and undoubtedly there is no milk if birth does not occur, no meat and fiber if survival can’t be ensured [1]. Reproductive performance of livestock depends on the following factors such as parturition interval, ovarian activity, days open, fertility and age at first parturition and in case of small ruminant; litter size and annual reproductive rate are determines the measure of reproductive efficiency of the livestock. Those factors have been influenced by one and another but freemartin is one of the factors that affect the reproductive performance of the livestock by affecting the fertility of the livestock. The objectives of this review were to compile organized information about the main causes for the occurrence of freemartin, the development and way of examining a freemartin animal and its influence on livestock reproductive www.iiste.org performance

Objectives

Findings

Conclusion