Ovulation and lambing rates in Karaguniki ewes after treatment with follicular fluid

The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of steroid-free bovine follicular fluid (bFF) on both ovulation and lambing rates. For this purpose, 30 adult ewes of the Karaguniki breed were randomly allocated to three treatment groups (A,B and C; n=10 ewes each) during the breeding season of 1988. The ewes in Group A received bFF (6 ml iv) twice daily during their luteal phase, starting on Day 5 and lasting until Day 9. The ewes in Group B received a mixture of bFF/arachid oil (3 ml sc, 2:1) on Days 3, 4, 5, 10 and 12 of the estrous cycle. The ewes in Group C (Controls) were treated subcutanecusly with a mixture of steroid-free bovine plasma and arachid oil (2:1) on the same days as the ewes in Group B. Plasma concentrations of progesterone showed that the luteal function during the treatment cycle was normal in all treated and control ewes. The ovulation and lambing rates, however, were greater in Group A (2.5 +/- 0.2 and 1.9 +/- 0.3, respectively) and in Group B (2.1 +/- 0.2 and 1.6 +/- 0.1, respectively) than in Group C (1.5 +/- 0.2 and 1.2 +/- 0.3, respectively). Precipitating antibodies were detected in the plasma of Group B ewes only.