title: An abattoir survey of ovine reproductive tracts in Ireland.
abstract: Reproductive tracts were collected from 870 ewes slaughtered at an abattoir in County Dublin over a 9-m.o. period from September 1993 to June 1994. Ovarian activity was evident in 59.3% of the tracts examined. The mean ovulation rate was 1.26 +/- 0.045 (mean +/- SEM). The spatial relationship between corpora lutea (CL) and dominant follicles was established. Ten percent of the ewes examined were pregnant. Embryonic transuterine migration was observed in 12% of the single ovulating ewes and in all ewes pregnant with twins which had double ovulations on one ovary. Based on the observation of tracts with contemporaneous double ovulations and a single fetus, the prevalence of embryonic loss was 17.2%. Overall, 9.4% of the tracts showed evidence of pathological change, and 5.5% of the tracts had abnormalities likely to impair fertility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Large Animal Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Alosta
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vaughan
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Collins
mesh_terms: D000034:Abortion, Veterinary; D000818:Animals; D003338:Corpus Luteum / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D007494:Ireland; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D010053:Ovary / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D010060:Ovulation; D011247:Pregnancy; D012756:Sheep / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D014599:Uterus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000502:physiology