The Cashmere goat has an annual cycle of hair growth and moulting, which is associated with changes in photoperiod. The first experiment was designed to determine if slow release melatonin implants could be used to delay the spring moult and initiation of hair follicle activity; as has been reported in mink and Blue-foxes and to investigate other endocrine changes associated with the onset of the moulting period. In the second experiment the association between the increase in plasma prolactin concentration and the onset of moulting and hair follicle activity was investigated. The final experiment was designed to determine whether a period of plasma prolactin suppression followed by a rapid increase in plasma prolactin concentration would accelerate the moult and thereby synchronise the onset of moulting within a group of animals. It is concluded that the timing of the spring moult in the cashmere goat can be altered by manipulating plasma prolactin concentrations. Factors other than prolactin may, however, be involved at the follicular level and controlling the response of individual follicles.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:649531 |
| Date | January 1993 |
| Creators | Dicks, Pamela |
| Publisher | University of Edinburgh |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://hdl.handle.net/1842/32975 |
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