Efficiency of Oestrous Synchronization by GnRH, Prostaglandins and Socio-Sexual Cues in the North African Maure Goats

Abstract

This study aims to develop at different seasons, for local North African Maure goats, synchronizing protocols simultaneously to the standard ‘S’ protocol using progestagens in association with prostaglandins and gonadotropin. In late May, 40 goats were assigned to either the ‘S’ protocol or to a protocol where oestrus and ovulation were induced by the buck effect in single-injection progesterone-treated goats and provoking early luteolysis using prostaglandin 9 days after exposure to bucks ‘B’. During the 72 h after the treatments ended, 15 and 5 goats expressed oestrus in the ‘S’ and ‘B’ protocols (p < 0.01). Mean time to oestrus was shorter for ‘S’ than for ‘B’ goats. Ovulation rate averaged 2.1 0.22 and 1.60 0.35 for, respectively, ‘S’ and ‘B’ goats (p > 0.05). During mid-September, 60 goats were assigned to either ‘S’ treatment, ‘PGF’ treatment where oestrus and ovulation were synchronized using two injections of prostaglandin 11 days apart or to ‘GnRH’ treatment where the goats had their oestrus and ovulation synchronized with a GnRH (day 0)–prostaglandin (day 6)–GnRH (day 9) sequence. More ‘S’ goats were detected in oestrus over the 96-h period after the end of the treatments (88.8, 73.7 and 55% in ‘S’, ‘PGF’ and ‘GnRH’ treatments, respectively; p < 0.05). Mean ovulation rates were 2.3 0.27, 1.33 0.27 and 1.33 0.27 for, respectively, ‘S’, ‘PGF’ and ‘GnRH’ goats (p < 0.001). Despite a similar ovulatory response to ‘S’ protocol, efficiency of prostaglandin and GnRH-based treatments should be tested in mid-breeding season.