Development of transferred ferret eggs in relation to the age of corpora lutea

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Abstract
Ferret eggs recovered from oviducts and uteri at various times after insemination were transferred to the uteri of recipient animals on various days of pseudopregnancy. Fifteen per cent of newly fertilized two day eggs recovered from oviducts were implanted when transferred to uteri of two‐day pseudopregnant ferrets but only 5% developed to fetuses. Synchronous transfer of four‐, six‐, seven‐ and eight‐day eggs to uteri of four‐, six‐, seven‐ and eight‐day pseudopregnant ferrets resulted in 44‐62% of implantations, but only 21–41% of eggs developed to fetuses. Twenty‐one‐fifty‐seven percent of eggs were implanted, and 8–29% of eggs developed to fetuses when eggs were transferred to uteri of ferrets that had ovulated two days later. When transferred to uteri of ferrets that had ovulated two days earlier none developed to fetuses although 33–50% of transferred eggs implanted. No fetal development was observed when six‐day eggs were transferred to estrous ferrets treated with various progestins, but a few implantations (3–17%) occurred.