Fertility studies in young and mature merino ewes 1. Cervical mucus production.
The production of cervical mucus was determined at six-hour intervals during oestrus in young (1(1/2) years old) and mature (3 to 7 years old) Merino ewes. The length of the cervix and the length of the cervical epithelium was also measured in similar ewes. Total weight of mucus secreted as well as secretion rate per unit of time was greater in mature ewes than young ewes. Production was maximal during the first six hours of oestrus and declined considerably after 12 hours in young and 18 hours in mature ewes. The cervix was significantly shorter in young ewes while the length of the cervical epithelium was not significantly different in young and mature. It was concluded that lower mucus production in young ewes is not related to lower mucus output per unit area.
Selaive-Villarroel
A B
AB
School of Wool and Pastoral Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia, 2033.
Kennedy
J P
JP