ABSTRACT
Twenty –four pregnant ewes of local breeds were used in two equal groups in a study
of induction of parturition and subsequent survival of neonates. Ewes were treated with either
15mg dexamethasone or saline solution (control) intramuscularly on day 145 of gestation. There
were significant differences between the 2 treatments in the mean of the interval from treatment
to lambing (162 and 59.7h for control and dexamethasone, respectively) and in the proportion of
that lambed by 48 hr after treatment. Injection of 15mg dexamethasone resulted in short and less
variable intervals from treatment to lambing. There were no significant differences between the
two treatment groups in birth weight (3.8 and 4.2 kg for control and dexamethasone,
respectively) and in the mean of the live weight at one month of age (9.4 and 10.2 kg for
control and dexamethasone, respectively).There were no significant differences between the two
treatment groups in the survival rate of lambs at birth (92.8 and 93.3% for control and
dexamethasone, respectively)and at one month of age (71.4 and 66.6% for control and
dexamethasone, respectively). This study confirms the effectiveness of the dexamethasone to
induce the parturition in ewes of local breeds with no adverse effect on the survival of
subsequent neonates.