Study of male effect on feeding and estrus behavior of Afshari ewes

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the male effect on the manifestation of estrus and feeding behavior of Afshari ewes during their breeding season. The study consists of 48 Afshari ewes, 3 years old, 67 ± 2 kg live weight, body condition score 3, along with 10 Afshari rams. The study was for a period of 6 weeks in a complementary randomized design. Ewes were equally divided into three treatments (T₁, T₂, and T₃) along with a control (T₄) with six animals in each group. Variable factors of treatments was the distance of the ram box (from the ewes), which was determined to be the T₁(0-5 m), T₂(10-15 m), and T₃(25-30 m). Exposure of the ewes to the rams resulted in an earlier manifestation of estrus signs (p < 0.05). Moreover, the total recorded estrus signs were significantly affected by the distance from the rams (p < 0.05). The result of this study showed differences in feed intake of the ewes due to the distance from the rams (p < 0.05). In the other words, the distance of the ewes from the rams significantly affected feed intake of the Afshari ewes.