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Fertility and growth of nulliparous ewes after feeding red clover silage with high phyto-oestrogen concentrations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 July 2014

E. Mustonen ,
S. Taponen ,
M. Andersson ,
A. Sukura ,
T. Katila  and
J. Taponen
E. Mustonen*
Affiliation:
Department of Production Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Paroninkuja 20, FIN-04920 Saarentaus, Finland
S. Taponen
Affiliation:
Department of Production Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Paroninkuja 20, FIN-04920 Saarentaus, Finland
M. Andersson
Affiliation:
Department of Production Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Paroninkuja 20, FIN-04920 Saarentaus, Finland
A. Sukura
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, P.O. Box 66, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
T. Katila
Affiliation:
Department of Production Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Paroninkuja 20, FIN-04920 Saarentaus, Finland
J. Taponen
Affiliation:
Department of Production Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Paroninkuja 20, FIN-04920 Saarentaus, Finland
*
†E-mail: eeva.mustonen@helsinki.fi
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Abstract

The study aimed to determine the effects of red clover (Trifolium pratense) silage with high phyto-oestrogen content on ewe performance during their first breeding season. Red clover silage containing formononetin, biochanin A, genistein, and daidzein was fed to 10 nulliparous ewes of the prolific Finnish Landrace breed before, during and after the breeding season, for a total of 5 months. A control group of 10 ewes was fed with grass silage. The mean numbers of foetuses per pregnancy were 2.1±0.7 and 2.2±0.8 for the red clover and control groups, respectively. The total mass of the uterus with its contents was significantly greater in ewes of the red clover group compared with those of the control group. This difference was mainly explained by the greater volume of foetal fluids. Serum progesterone concentration in the red clover group was significantly lower over the entire period analysed than in the control group. In conclusion, the fecundity of the ewes was not reduced by red clover feed with high phyto-oestrogen concentrations. The volume of foetal fluids increased that could increase the risk for vaginal prolapse before the term.

Keywords

ewered cloverphyto-oestrogenformononetinequol
Type
Research Article
Information
animal , Volume 8 , Issue 10 , October 2014 , pp. 1699 - 1705
Copyright
© The Animal Consortium 2014 

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