Effects of pre-mating environmental stress, ACTH, cortisone acetate or metyrapone on oestrus and ovulation in sheep

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Abstract
Summary: Administration of ACTH to Finnish Landrace × Dorset Horn ewes during days 13–16 of the pre-mating oestrous cycle resulted in a significant delay in the onset of oestrus (mean cycle length of 17·5 ± 0·39 days as compared with 16·4 ± 0·61 in a control group). Subsequent ovulation rate was significantly higher than in the control group (3·12 and 2·44 ova/ewe respectively).In a second experiment with Scottish Blackface ewes the effects on time of onset of oestrus and on ovulation rate of environmental stress, ACTH, cortisone acetate or metyrapone were studied. Environmental stress and administration of ACTH through the oestrous period significantly reduced ovulation rate (1·54 and 1·39 ova/ewe respectively) compared with the control (1·96). ACTH administered during days 13–16, as in the first experiment, and cortisone acetate administered through oestrus had no effect on ovulation rate (1·88 and 1·86 respectively). Administration of metyrapone reduced ovulation rate to 1·70 but this was not significantly different from the control. Both forms of ACTH treatment resulted in a delay in onset of oestrus but environmental stress had no effect on this character.Levels of plasma luteinizing hormone (LH) were estimated on representative animals. These showed that ACTH and environmental stress influenced the pattern of the ovulatory surge of LH in respect of time of onset of the surge relative to onset of oestrus, duration of surge and peak levels.