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The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of two different short-term progestagen treatments for estrus synchronization in cyclic ewes. A total of 292 ewes of 3 flocks (A-C) on different farms were treated for 6 days with Eazi-breed™ CIDR® G (n = 145) or Chronogest® CR (n = 147) vaginal inserts in combination with 0.125 mg Cloprostenol and 300IU eCG at device removal. Blood samples were taken for progesterone (P4) determination at insert application and removal as well as 14 days later. One day after insert removal rams fitted with marking harnesses were joined to ewes for 35 days and marked ewes recorded daily. Lambing data were recorded and fertility to first service period and overall assessed. Results show that 24-96 h after insert removal 98.8% and 89.4% of the synchronized ewes in the flocks B and C were in estrus. Estrus response was not affected by the type of progestagen treatment and was lower (P < 0.05) in nulli-(82.1%) than in pluriparous (97.5%) ewes. Type of progestagen treatment did not affect fertility, but flock and parity influenced the percentage of ewes that lambed as well as the lambing rate. Overall more ewes (P < 0.001) lambed in flock A compared to flocks B and C (93.0 vs. 72.5 and 59.1%). In nulliparous animals the percentage of ewes that lambed was higher to the first service (P < 0.05) period but lower (P < 0.001) to the overall service period compared to pluriparous animals (51.5% vs. 49.3% and 64.7% vs. 84.2%). Lambing rates were higher in flock A than in flocks B and C to first service period and overall (1.3 ± 1.4, 0.9 ± 1.0, and 0.7 ± 1.0, P < 0.01 and 1.9 ± 1.1, 1.3 ± 0.9, and 1.0 ± 1.0, P < 0.001) and in nulliparous overall lower than in pluriparous ewes (1.1 ± 1.1 and 1.6 ± 1.1, P < 0.01). Serum P4 concentrations measured 14 days after insert removal were higher in the Chronogest® CR than in the Eazi-breed™ CIDR® G group (6.8 ± 4.1 ng/mL vs. 5.7 ± 3.3 ng/mL). Ewes of flock A had higher P4 values compared to ewes of flocks B and C (8.3 ± 4.1 ng/mL vs. 4.5 ± 1.5 ng/mL and 3.8 ± 1.7 ng/mL) and nulliparous lower P4 concentrations than pluriparous ewes (4.5 ± 2.2 ng/mL vs. 6.7 ± 4.0 ng/mL). In conclusion, a 6-day treatment with Chronogest® CR and Eazi-breed™ CIDR® G with prostaglandin and eCG at insert removal resulted in high estrus response and similar fertility in cyclic ewes. AbstractThe aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of two different short-term progestagen treatments for estrus synchronization in cyclic ewes. A total of 292 ewes 72.5 and 59.1%). In nulliparous animals the percentage of ewes that lambed was higher to the first service (P<0.05) period but lower (P<0.001) to the overall service period compared to pluriparous animals (51.5 vs. 49.3% and 64.7 vs. 84.2%).Lambing rates were higher in flock A than in flocks B and C to first service period and overall (1.3±1.4, 0.9±1.0, 0.7±1.0, P<0.01 and 1.9±1

Paullinia pinnata is a medicinal plant traditionally used in West Africa against a wide range of diseases including soil-transmitted helminthiases. In this study, a hydroethanolic root extract was investigated for its phytochemical composition and in vitro activity against the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as well as the larval stages of the parasitic helminths Ancylostoma caninum, Haemonchus contortus, Toxocara cati, and Trichuris vulpis.LC-MS analysis of the ethanol-water (1 : 1) extract revealed epicatechin and different A-type linked oligomeric and polymeric procyanidins as the predominant compounds.Within an in vitro mortality assay, the extract showed a lethal activity against T. cati (LC50 of 112 µg/mL), T. vulpis (LC50 of 17 µg/mL), and C. elegans (LC50 2.5 of mg/mL), but not against A. caninum. Additionally, effects on egg hatching and larval migration of H. contortus were investigated, but no inhibitory activity was observed.Overall, these findings rationalize the traditional use of the root extract from P. pinnata as an anthelmintic remedy and provide insight into the phytochemical composition of the extract.

Gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) severely affect small ruminant production worldwide. Increasing problems of anthelmintic resistance have given strong impetus to the search for alternative strategies to control GIN. Selection of animals with an enhanced resistance to GIN has been shown to be successful in sheep. In goats, the corresponding information is comparatively poor. Therefore, the present study was designed to provide reliable data on heritabilities of and genetic correlations between phenotypic traits linked to GIN and milk yield in two major dairy goat breeds (Alpine and Saanen). In all, 20 herds totalling 1303 goats were enrolled in the study. All herds had (i) a history of gastrointestinal nematode infection, (ii) uniform GIN exposure on pasture and (iii) regular milk recordings. For all goats, individual recordings of faecal egg counts (FEC), FAMACHA© eye score, packed cell volume (PCV) and milk yield were performed twice a year with an anthelmintic treatment in between. The collected phenotypic data were multivariately modelled using animal as a random effect with its covariance structure inferred from the pedigree, enabling estimation of the heritabilities of the respective traits and the genetic correlation between them. The heritabilities of FEC, FAMACHA© and PCV were 0.07, 0.22 and 0.22, respectively. The genetic correlation between FEC and FAMACHA© was close to zero and −0.41 between FEC and PCV. The phenotypic correlation between FEC and milk yield was close to zero, whereas the genetic correlation was 0.49. Our data suggest low heritability of FEC in Saanen and Alpine goats and an unfavourable genetic correlation of FEC with milk yield.