Indian Journal of Small Ruminants 2022, 28(1): 218-220 Indian Journal of

Small Ruminants

EFFECT OF FLUSHING OF EWES ON BODY WEIGHT, OESTROUS RESPONSE AND

CONCEPTION RATE
Shafiullah Stanzaki, Ashok Kumar1, Amit Kumar and G.N. Purohit*
Department of Veterinary Gynaecology and Obstetrics
College of Veterinary and Animal Science
Rajasthan University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Bikaner- 334 001, Rajasthan
1
Arid Region Campus (ICAR-Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute)
Bikaner- 334 001, Rajasthan
*E-mail address: gnpobs@gmail.com

Manuscript received on 11.08.2021, accepted on 05.09.2021

DOI: 10.5958/0973-9718.2022.00025.3

Key words: Body weight, Conception, Ewes, Flushing, Oestrous response

N utritional level including both feed intake and

amount of body energy stores is one of the
most significant factors influencing reproductive
performance of sheep (Sejian et al., 2010). Nutritional
supplementation or feed prior to mating has been
reported to increase ovulation and lambing rates and
overall reproductive efficiency in sheep especially in
low-input system prevailing in arid, semi-arid, and hilly
regions of the country (Naqvi et al., 2013). Flushing is
thus a well-known management programme to
enhance reproductive efficiency of sheep during
breeding season (Farrag, 2019). However, the
relationships between live weight, feeding and body
fat reserves in sheep are complex and in many cases
difficult to clarify. As a result, the short- and medium-
term reproductive results may be contradictory or
specific to a particular breed or farming conditions.
The present study examined the effects of short-term
supplementary feeding (flushing) on body weight,
oestrus and conception rates of low body condition
score (BCS) in Marwari ewes.
Thirty-nine low body condition score (BCS, 2.2-
2.5) Marwari ewes (2 to 6 yr) maintained at Arid Region
Campus (ICAR-Central Sheep and Wool Research
Institute), Bikaner (Rajasthan) were randomly divided
into three groups. The BCS was measured on a 1 to 5
scale as per Kenyon et al. (2014). The ewes were
maintained on grazing (control, C), grazing + 300 g
concentrate supplementation (21 days) (CS) and
grazing + 200 g concentrate and 150 g multi-nutrient
mixture supplementation (CMS)( 21 days) before the
breeding season (August-September, 2020). All the
ewes were oestrus synchronized by intravaginal
progesterone (0.35 g) impregnated sponges for 12
days followed by IM administration of 200 IU of eCG
(Inj. Folligon, Intervet) on the day of sponge
withdrawal (Naqvi et al., 2013; Sharma and Purohit,
2009). Ewes were weighed before and after flushing
and their BCS were also recorded. Ewes were mated
with fertile rams twice when detected in oestrus by an
apron wearing ram paraded 12 hourly after the sponge
removal. Pregnancy diagnosis was performed by
sector trans-rectal ultrasonography (3.5 MHz, Aloka
Prosound, Tokyo). The oestrous response and
conception rates were calculated. The data were
analyzed by one way analysis of variance and means
were compared by Duncan's new multiple range test
(Snedecor and Cochran, 1994).
There was significant (p<0.05) increase in body
weight of ewes provided supplementary feeding
(Table 1); however, the B C S improved only
marginally from 2.22 to 2.25 in control, 2.23 to 2.27 in

218
 Shafiullah Stanzaki et al.

CS and 2.25 to 2.30 in CMS ewes. There was
significant (p<0.05) increase in body weight of ewes
at the end of flushing compared to the initial values in
all the groups and maximum body weight gain was
recorded in CMS (2.51±0.21kg) followed by CS
(2.32± 0.22kg) and control (1.40±0.23 kg). The
oestrous response rate was 84.61% in the CS and
CMS as compared to 61.53% in C group (Table 2)
indicating positive effect of energy supplementation
on oestrus induction.

Table 1. Mean (±S.E.) body weight of low BCS ewes before and after flushing

Treatment Before After flushing Body weight

flushing (kg) (kg) gain (kg)

Control (C) 24.52±0.36 25.92±0.42a 1.40±0.23

Grazing + conc. suppl. (CS) 24.58±0.45 26.90±0.36bc 2.32±0.22
Grazing + conc. + multi-nutrient mixture suppl. (CMS) 25.57±0.56 28.08±0.49c 2.51±0.21
Means with different superscripts within a column differ significantly (p<0.05)

The mean conception rate was non-significantly may be due to higher ovulation rates probably due to
higher (81.81%) in CMS group as compared to CS high glucose level at the time of oestrus as recorded in
(72.72%) and C groups (62.5%). The higher earlier studies (Hussein et al., 2019; Nurlatifah et al.,
conception rate in energy supplementation groups 2020).

Table 2. Oestrus and conception rates in low BCS oestrus synchronized ewes

Treatment Oestrus rate (%) Conception rate (%)

Control (C) 61.53 (8/13) 62.50% (5/8)
Grazing + conc. suppl. (CS) 84.61 (11/13) 72.72% (8/11)
Grazing + conc. + multi-nutrient mixture suppl. (CMS) 84.61 (11/13) 81.81% (9/11)
Means with different superscripts within a column differ significantly (p<0.05)

Supplementary feeding improved concentration
of luteinizing hormone (LH) in large follicles resulted
in follicular growth (Guo et al., 2019). Ying et al.
(2013) reported that blood glucose and insulin
concentrations regulate glucose availability at the
ovarian follicles and affect folliculogenesis in ewes.
Nurlatifah et al. (2020) reported that glucose level is
related to release of FSH and LH which also plays a
role in the process of ovulation. In a previous study,
oestrus synchronization in combination with
nutritional supplementation enhanced the number of
larger follicles and ovulation rate by 43% but did not
affect plasma concentration of LH (Nogueira et al.,
2016), 17β- estradiol and FSH (Somchit et al.,
2007). Scaramuzzi et al. (2006) demonstrated that
supplementary nutrition results in modulation of
ovarian functions involved in modifying follicular
responses to LH and FSH.
It was concluded that flushing of low BCS ewe's
results in increase in body weight and numerically
higher oestrous response and conception following
oestrus synchronization.
SUMMARY
With an objective to evaluate the effect of flushing on
body weight, oestrous response and conception, 39 low
body condition score Marwari ewes (2 to 6 yr) were divided
into three groups. They were maintained on grazing (control
C), grazing + 300 g concentrate supplementation (21 days)
(CS) and grazing + 200 g concentrate and 150 g multi-
nutrient mixture supplementation( 21 days) (CMS). All the
ewes were oestrus synchronized by intravaginal sponges.
Significantly higher (p<0.05) body weights (26.90± 0.36 and
28.08± 0.49 kg) were recorded in CS and CMS ewes. Non-
significantly, higher proportion of ewes were detected in
oestrus (84.61% and 84.61%) in CS and CMS compared to
control ewes (61.53%) and higher proportion of ewes
conceived (72.72% and 81.81%) in CS and CMS than C

Indian Journal of Small Ruminants 2022, 28(1): 218-220 219

 Effect of flushing on oestrus and conception
(62.5%) reflecting the beneficial effect of flushing. It was
concluded that flushing of low BCS ewes' results in increase
in body weight and numerically higher oestrous response
and conception following oestrus synchronization.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors are thankful to the Dean, College of
Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Bikaner; Dean Post-
graduate studies, Rajasthan University of Veterinary and
Animal Sciences for providing financial and technical
support. They are also thankful to the Director, ICAR-Central
Sheep and Wool Research Institute, Avikanagar and Head,
Arid Region Campus, Bikaner for providing animals and
laboratory facilities.
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