SUMMARY
It was aimed to investigate blood components of Egyptian Suffolk ewes during
pre-oestrus, oestrus and at 21st and 90th days of pregnancy and at beginning of the
last week of pregnancy. The effects of sub-tropical Egyptian heat stressful conditions
on such components, as well as, on conception and lambing rates, were also studied.
The ewes were raised in a 3 lambings/ 2 years system, during December - February
(as winter season), May - July (as summer season) and August - October (as autumn
season). The calculated Temperature-Humidity Index (THI) values were 14.5 in
winter, 25.6 in summer and 24.7 in autumn, indicating absence of heat stress during
winter and exposure to very severe heat stress during summer and autumn, under the
sub-tropical conditions of Egypt.
The study of the different phases of reproduction showed that serum level of
each of total protein, albumin, glucose, ALP, LDH, SGOT, creatinine, inorganic
phosphorous and progesterone, differed significantly. Level of each of glucose,
alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, SGOT, inorganic phosphorus and
progesterone hormone increased significantly, throughout the stages of pre-oestrus,
oestrus and at 21st and 90th days of pregnancy, then declined significantly at beginning
of the last week of pregnancy. The higher values were recorded at 90 days of
pregnancy. Total protein and albumin were lower significantly at beginning of the last
week of pregnancy than in the other stages, while creatinine was higher significantly
in oestrus and at the beginning of the last week of pregnancy period than in the other
periods.
Study of the effects of sub-tropical Egyptian heat stressful conditions on blood
components showed that progesterone hormone level in urine (efficacious) in ewes at
day 21 of pregnancy was higher significantly (P<0.05) in summer than in winter and
autumn seasons. Conception rate was higher significantly (P<0.05) in ewes mated in
winter and autumn than in those mated in summer breeding season. The average
values of the relative deviations (regardless of the minus or plus signs) in the studied
traits as a function to the sub-tropical environment, were found to be 40.81, 41.07 and
186.19%, during pre-oestrus, oestrus and at day 21 of pregnancy, respectively.