To study the effect of vitamin E (VE), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) supplementation on the in vitro phagocytic activity (PA) and lymphocyte proliferation response (LPR) of blood neutrophils and lymphocytes, thirty Sahiwal pregnant cows (six in each group) in their late gestation at 30 days before the expected date of calving were selected from the NDRI experimental herd and supplemented with various micronutrients from 30 days before calving to 45 days after calving. Cows were supplemented individually with VE (1000 IU/cow/day), Cu (20 ppm/cow/day) and Zn (80 ppm/cow/day) and also with a combination of VE, Cu and Zn to study cumulative effect of all micronutrients. One group without any supplementation acted as a control. Blood neutrophils and lymphocytes were isolated and studied for their PA and LPR. Supplementation of micronutrients like VE, Cu, Zn and a combination of all these nutrients significantly (p < 0.01) increased the PA of experimental cows as compared to control (unsupplemented) cows during the pre-partum period. During post-partum, all the micronutrients (VE, Cu, Zn and their combination) showed a significant (p < 0.01) increase in the PA of experimental cows as compared to control cows. Of all the groups, significant (p < 0.01) and maximum PA was observed in the combination group followed by Zn-supplemented group during both the pre- and post-partum period. A significant (p < 0.01) increase in LPR of B lymphocytes was observed in combination-supplemented group during the pre-partum period and during both the pre- and post-partum period in the Cu-supplemented group.

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A study was conducted to assess the success of estrus synchronization and fixed-time artificial insemination (FTAI) in sheep under field conditions of a semi-arid tropical region. A total of 471 ewes belonging to 17 farmers of four villages in Tonk district of Rajasthan (Jelmiya, Dhani Jaisinghpura, Tantiya and Bheepur) were synchronized for estrus during the years 2011 and 2012. Synchronization of estrus was done by AVIKESIL-S, cost-effective intra-vaginal sponges developed by the Institute and eCG protocol. The sponges were kept in situ in the vagina for 12 days and 200 IU eCG (Folligon, Intervet) was administered intramuscularly at the time of sponge withdrawal on the 12th day. Fixed-time cervical insemination was performed twice in ewes exhibiting estrus (restlessness, shaking of tail, slightly swollen vulva, moist and reddish cervical external os), 48 and 56 h after sponge removal, using liquid chilled semen of Patanwadi/Malpura rams containing 100 million sperm per dose. The estrus response recorded was 79.4 % (374/471) and lambing rate was 60.42 % (226/374). It may be concluded from the encouraging results of the present study that FTAI can be used effectively to take advantage of both the genetic improvement and economic benefit that can be realized by the use of estrus synchronization in conjunction with artificial insemination (AI).

High environmental temperature is a major constraint in sheep production under semi-arid tropical environment. Behavior is the earliest indicator of animal's adaptation and responses to the environmental alteration. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the effects of high ambient temperature on the behavior of sheep under a semi-arid tropical environment. The experiment was conducted for 6 weeks on 16 Malpura cross (Garole × Malpura × Malpura (GMM)) rams. The rams were divided equally into two groups, designated as C and T. The rams of C were kept in comfortable environmental conditions served as control. The rams of T were exposed to a different temperature at different hours of the day in a climatic chamber, to simulate a high environmental temperature of summer in semi-arid tropic. The behavioral observations were taken by direct instantaneous observation at 15-min intervals for each animal individually. The feeding, ruminating, standing, and lying behaviors were recorded twice a week from morning (0800 hours) to afternoon (1700 hours) for 6 weeks. Exposure of rams to high temperature (T) significantly (P < 0.05) decreased the proportion of time spent in feeding during the observation period in most of the hours of the day as compared to the C. The proportion of time spent in rumination and lying was significantly (P < 0.05) lower in the T group compared to the C. The animals of T spent significantly (P < 0.05) more time in rumination in standing position as compared to the C. The overall proportion of time spent in standing, panting in each hour, and total panting time was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in the T as compared to the C. The result of the study indicates that the exposure of sheep to high ambient temperature severely modulates the behavior of sheep which is directed to circumvent the effect of the stressor.

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This study assessed the effect of micronutrient supplementation around peripartum period on immune function, reproductive performance, milk yield and milk quality of crossbred cows. Thirty pregnant crossbred cows in their late gestation were selected and randomly divided into five groups for study. Six cows in each group were supplemented with vitamin E (VE) (2000 IU/cow/day), vitamin A (VA) (100,000 IU/cow/day), copper (Cu) (20 ppm/cow/day), zinc (Zn) (80 ppm/cow/day) individually from 45 days pre-calving to 45 days post-calving and one group without any supplementation served as control. Immune function was studied by in vitro phagocytic activity (PA) of blood neutrophils, lymphocyte proliferation response (LPR) and plasma interleukin-8 (IL-8) concentration. Supplementation of VA significantly (P < 0.05) increased the in vitro PA of blood neutrophils and decreased milk somatic cell counts (SCC). Zn supplementation significantly (P < 0.05) increased the T lymphocyte proliferation response, whereas B lymphocyte LPR was significantly (P < 0.05) increased with both VA and Zn supplementation as compared to the control cows. Plasma IL-8 concentration was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in all supplemented cows. Supplementation of VE, VA and Zn significantly (P < 0.05) reduces days open, whereas VA significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the service per conception. In this study, it is concluded that VE, VA and Zn supplementation around peripartum period can boost the immunity and improve the reproductive performance of crossbred cows in a semi-arid tropical environment.