PARENT SESSION
Reproductive Behavior

MEHRABAN BREED OF SHEEP : A NON SEASONAL REPRODUCTIVE TYPE.

Farhadi Javid, Saeed¹, Dordari, Shahram, ¹

ABSTRACT- Many of sheep breeds have seasonal reproduction and regulate their reproductive program in accordance with the environment light. Limited number of sheep breeds do not follow this rule and are able to reproduce throughout the year. In this study,60 mehraban ewes with age of 3 to 7 years were kept along with rams in natural environment in Hamedan city(48"31'N-35'50'E). Their reproductive activity was registered and assessed daily. In the first year the reproductive activity started in May and continued up to March. In March no activity was seen. In the second year the start was in May and the termination occured in February. The maximum activity in the first year was in October and June and in the second year in June and February. In the summer of both years, the activity was the least. The results showed that the mehraban breed does not completely follow the light alternation. This breed does not belong to those that have seasonal reproductive activity.

KEY WORDS: ewe, nonseasonal reproduction, MEHRABAN