Including Natural and Synthetic PGF2α in a 11-day FGA-Based Estrus Synchronization Protocol in Sheep: an Efficacy Comparison of Dinoprost and Cloprostenol

Abstract

There are a variety of hormonal protocols and products on the market, but it is still unclear how they will work on specific field conditions. The efficacy of using different forms of prostaglandin F2α analogues such as dinoprost and cloprostenol in a FGA-based estrus synchronization protocols were compared in sheep. For this purpose, on the basis of a completely randomized design, 60 ewes (Tsigai breed, Rusty variety; 2–4-years old, mean body score of 2.5 ± 0.5) were divided into two estrus synchronization treatment groups, which included: fluorogestone acetate (FGA) sponges for 11 days, with the administration of an intramuscular injection of 5 mg of dinoprost on the 9-day, followed by 300 IU PMSG at the time of sponge withdrawal (FGA-D-PMSG group, n=30), and for the other group, the same synchronization protocol was followed, with the difference that instead of dinoprost, ewes received 75 μg of cloprostenol (FGA-C-PMSG group, n=30). The estrus response rate percentage (%ERR) ranged between 76.66% (FGA-C-PMSG group) and 93.33% (FGA-D-PMSG group). In this study, it is shown that the type of PGF2α (natural or synthetic) can influence the results of a 11-day FGA-PGF2α-PMSG synchronization protocol, in terms of occurrence of estrus behaviour. Additionally, hormonal treatments cost for each protocol was calculated in order to determine the most cost-effective method and whether it can be implemented in small and large-scale sheep farming.

Keywords

• fga
• pmsg
• dinoprost
• cloprostenol
• synchronization
• err
• nrr
• sheep