Sheep were among the first animal domesticated by man, and have always been one of his most valuable beasts. Increasing efforts have been made to improve both wool and mutton, in order to give the greatest financial returns to the sheep grower. / Master of Science

"March 2003" / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 237-297) / ix, 297 leaves : ill. (some col.), plates (col.) ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, School of Agriculture and Wine, Discipline of Animal Science, 2005

Orientador: Luiz Francisco Zafalon / Banca: José Jurandir Fagliari / Banca: Márcio Garcia Ribeiro / Resumo: Este estudo teve como objetivos: investigar os micro-organismos causais da mastite subclínica em ovelhas de aptidão para produção de carne, definir pontos de corte de dois métodos de diagnóstico indiretos, comparar as taxas de cura do tratamento da mastite subclínica após infusão intramamária de princípio ativo antimicrobiano no momento da secagem em duas diferentes formulações, convencional e nanoparticulada, verificar as taxas de cura espontânea, avaliar a capacidade de prevenção da ocorrência de novas infecções mamárias e verificar a presença de resíduos antimicrobianos no leite de ovelhas submetidas ao tratamento à secagem, na lactação consecutiva. O estudo foi realizado em um rebanho localizado em uma propriedade no município de São Carlos, São Paulo. Analisou-se um total de 393 mamas de ovelhas de aptidão para produção de carne, 250 das quais pertencentes a 130 ovelhas da raça Santa Inês e outras 143 mamas de 77 ovelhas da raça Morada Nova. Amostras de leite foram coletadas e submetidas ao exame de California Mastitis Test (CMT), à contagem de células somáticas (CCS) e ao exame microbiológico antes da secagem e após o parto subsequente. As glândulas mamárias com mastite subclínica foram distribuídas nos seguintes grupos: G1 (Controle; glândulas mamárias que não receberam tratamento antimicrobiano); G2 (glândulas mamárias em que foi administrado 100 mg de cloxacilina benzatina/ 10 mL em estrutura convencional) e G3 (glândulas mamárias em que foi administrado 50 mg de cloxacilina benzatina/ 86 mL em estrutura nanoencapsulada). Para avaliação dos tratamentos quanto à capacidade de prevenir novas infecções, foram utilizadas as mamas saudáveis dos animais dos grupos experimentais G1, G2 e G3, e foi acrescido o grupo G4 (glândulas mamárias saudáveis em que foi administrado 100 mg de cloxacilina benzatina/ 172 mL em estrutura nanoencapsulada) ... / Abstract: This study had as objectives: investigate the microorganisms that cause subclinical mastitis in meat producing sheep, define cut-off values of two methods of indirect diagnosis, compare cure rates of treatment of subclinical mastitis after intramammary infusion of antimicrobial active principle at the time of drying off in two different formulations, conventional and nanoparticle, check the rates of spontaneous cure, evaluate the capability of prevention of new infections and check the presence of antimicrobial residues in milk of sheep subjected to treatment during drying off, on consecutive lactation. The study was done in a flock located on a property in São Carlos city, São Paulo. We analyzed a total of 393 mammary glands of meat producing sheep, 250 of which belong to 130 Santa Inês breed sheep and other 143 mammary glands of 77 Morada Nova breed sheep. Milk samples were collected and submitted to California Mastitis Test (CMT), the somatic cell count (SCC) and microbiological exam before drying off and after subsequent parturition. The mammary glands with subclinical mastitis were as follows: G1 (Control, mammary glands that not received antibiotic treatment), G2 (mammary glands which was administered 100 mg of benzathine cloxacillin/ 10 mL in conventional structure) and G3 (mammary glands which was administered 50 mg benzathine cloxacillin/ 86 mL in nanocoated structure). For evaluation of treatments about their capability to prevent new infections, we used the mammary glands of healthy animals of experimentals groups groups G1, G2 and G3, and G4 was added group (healthy mammary glands, which was administered 100 mg of benzathine cloxacillin/ 172 mL in nanocoated structure). The occurrences of animals positive for infectious mastitis in Santa Ines breed sheep was 33.1% and 35.6% in Morada Nova breed sheep. Coagulase-negative Staphylococci were the predominant etiologic agents ... / Mestre

The only practical method for artificially breeding ewes with frozen semen is laparoscopic insemination into the lumen of the uterine horn. Like all surgical procedures, however, laparoscopic artificial inseminatiom has limitations. The procedure requires surgical skill and costly equipment. Repeated passage of the laparoscope through the abdominal wall causes adhesions. Depositing frozen/thawed semen at the os cervix results in low conception rates. The inability to pass an insemination pipette through the cervix has prevented artificial insemination in sheep from becoming a standard breeding method as in the cattle industry. This study compared laparoscopic and transcervical methods of insemination in nulliparous ewes and transcervical insemination in multiparous ewes after estradiol cypionate treatment. Forty nulliparous commercial-cross Rambouillet ewes were treated with pessaries containing fluorogesterone acetate to synchronize estrus. After 14 days, pessaries were removed and ewes were injected IM with 400 IU of pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG). Ewes were randomly divided into laparoscopic and transcervical treatment groups, 14 and 26 respectively. Ewes were inseminated with thawed semen (75x106 motile spermatozoa). Pregnancy rate with laparoscopic insemination was 85% (confirmed at 55 days with real-time ultrasound) .. With the transcervical method, the speculum could only be inserted into the vagina of five ewes and the insemination pipette could only be passed through the cervix in two ewes. The combined pregnancy rate for deep cervical and transcervical insemination was 40% at 55 days. Forty multiparous commercial-cross Rambouillet ewes were synchronized as previously described. Ewes were randomly separated into a control and estradiol cypionate treatment group of 20 animals each. Within each group 10 ewes were inseminated with frozen/thawed Suffolk semen and 1 Owith Rambouillet semen. Ten ewes within each sire genotype were treated with 1 mg IM of estradiol cypionate 16 hours prior to insemination. Treated ewes were inseminated into the uterine body 90% of the time and non-treated ewes 95%. There was no significant difference in cervical passage between these groups. Pregnancy rates for transcervical artificial insemination in the Suffolk genotype were 0.05% and 40% in the Rambouillet (pregnancy confirmed at 55 days by real-time ultrasound). Lambing rates for the Suffolk and Rambouillet groups were zero and 0.05%, respectively.

[No Abstract]

Alfalfa accumulates phytoestrogens and when ingested binds the estrogen receptor and induces morphological changes similar to endogenous estrogens. The objective of this study is to evaluate morphological changes in uteri, vulva, and teats of ovariectomized prepubertal ewe lambs. Eighteen prepubertal ewe lambs were ovariectomized in November 2000 and fed nonestrogenic hay until May 2001. In May, ewes were fed bentgrass straw and cottonseed meal. On day 0 of a 12-day feed trial, ewes were assigned randomly to three treatments (n=6 in each treatment): Estradiol, Control, and Alfalfa. Estradiol treated ewes were fed bentgrass straw and cottonseed meal ad libitum, plus receiving a daily injection of 10 mg estradiol-17�� suspended in corn oil. Control ewes were fed bentgrass straw and cottonseed meal ad libitum and received a daily injection of corn oil vehicle. Alfalfa ewes were fed alfalfa ad libitum and received a daily injection of corn oil vehicle. Three blinded observers assigned each ewe a subjective score ranging from 1 (no change) to 4 (significant change) for vulva and teat morphology on Days 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 12. Teat length and circumference were measured on Days 1, 7 and 12. Ewes were slaughtered on Day 13, uteri were weighed, and a cross-section was collected from each uterine horn. Cross-sections were fixed in Lillie's Neutral Buffered Formalin and embedded in paraffin wax, sectioned at 4-5 ��m, and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. An ocular micrometer was used to measure luminal epithelial cell height. Estradiol treated ewes had heavier (p<0.05) uterine weights and greater (p<0.05) uterine luminal epithelial cell height than that of ewes fed alfalfa or control ewes. Uterine weights and uterine luminal epithelial cell height were greater (p<0.05) in alfalfa fed ewes than control ewes. Vulva scores for estradiol treated ewes were higher than those of control ewes (p<0.05). Alfalfa fed ewes had numerically higher vulva scores than control ewes but the difference was not significant statistically (p>0.05). Teat scores or measurements showed no differences (p>0.05) among treatments. Ewes exhibited slight changes in vulva scores due to treatment, but the most noted effects were observed in uterine growth. This research suggests that uterine weight and uterine luminal epithelial cell height are sensitive to the estrogenic activity of alfalfa and estradiol-17 resulting in morphological changes in estrogen target tissues in the prepubertal ewe lamb. / Graduation date: 2003

Graduation date: 1995

Graduation date: 1995

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2001. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 79 p. : ill. (some col.). Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 70-78).

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