Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of replacing ground corn (402 g kg−1 of dry matter) with rehydrated corn grain silage (RCGS; 425 g kg−1 of dry matter) in a flushing diet on follicular development in tropical Santa Inês ewes. Fifteen ewes were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups: a diet with ground corn (control, n = 7) or a diet with RCGS (n = 8). The first day of the diets was [...]
Highlights
The reproductive performance of small ruminants has been positively associated with energy balance (Scaramuzzi et al, 2006)
Flushing promotes an increase in concentrations of blood metabolites such as glucose, which plays an important role in folliculogenesis and ovulation (Scaramuzzi et al, 2006; Zabuli et al, 2010; Habibizad et al, 2015)
The dry matter intake (DMI) of the animals attained a maximum value on d16 of flushing and began to reduce in both treatment groups (Figure 1)
Summary
The reproductive performance of small ruminants has been positively associated with energy balance (Scaramuzzi et al, 2006). An increase in energy intake around breeding can have a positive impact on reproduction of these animals. Flushing promotes an increase in concentrations of blood metabolites such as glucose, which plays an important role in folliculogenesis and ovulation (Scaramuzzi et al, 2006; Zabuli et al, 2010; Habibizad et al, 2015). The addition of ingredients that provide highly fermentable energy content in the rumen may result in more efficient use of dietary protein (Wilkerson et al, 1997) and reduce the plasma urea nitrogen (PUN) concentration. The PUN concentration is related to the ammonia and urea concentrations in the follicular and uterine fluid (Hammon et al, 2005) and has been shown to negatively affect oocyte (Sinclair et al, 2000) and embryonic development if in excess of 19.0 mg dL−1 (McEvoy et al, 1997)
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