Early induction of ovulation in yearling red deer hinds

M.W. Fisher, P.F. Fennessy, J.M. Suttie, I.D. Corson, A.J.T. Pearse, G.H. Davis and P.D. Johnstone

Invermay Agricultural Centre, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Mosgiel

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production. 1986, 46: 171-174

All hinds, except for the untreated controls had 15 days of intravaginal progesterone treatment beginning on 28 February. At progesterone withdrawal hinds were either untreated, or given pregnant mare's serum gonadotrophin (PMS) or gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH). Stags were introduced on 14 March and the hinds laparoscoped 7 or 12 days later to record the presence or absence of an induced ovulation.

Untreated hinds had a very low incidence of ovulation prior to the onset of the normal breeding season. While the use of progesterone alone marginally increased the number of hinds ovulating, PMS or GnRH treatment was generally necessary to induce ovulation. However, assessed from calving records, fertility at the induced ovulation was poor.

Keywords: NZSAPAB; Red deer; early breeding; progesterone; PMS; GnRH; ovulation; calving