Source: http://hukkanaama.deviantart.com/art/Sheep-and-Goats-Learn-the-Difference-355012023
Category: Topics
Update on a Geep – Hybrid Sheep Goat Born March 2014
The return of the geep: two years on. By Amy McShane on 29 January 2016
It’s been almost two years on from the birth of the sheep-goat hybrid.
A farm in Kildare is home to the geep, who was born in March 2014. Owner of the farm Paddy Murphy said at the time that “it had all the hallmarks of a goat. He looks like a goat trapped in a lamb’s body.”
Full Story and videos: http://www.farmersjournal.ie/the-return-of-the-geep-two-years-on-199305
County Tyrone sheep at Shannon farm gives birth to rare sextuplet lambs
County Tyrone sheep at Shannon farm gives birth to rare sextuplet lambs
A sheep at a family-run farm in County Tyrone has surprised its owners by giving birth to rare sextuplets.
In fortuitous timing, the six healthy lambs were born at the Donemana farm at 06:00 GMT on Good Friday 27 March.
Owner Witherow Shannon said it was the first time he had ever seen six lambs born to the same ewe.
“I’ve been in sheep now for sixty years, I’ve never seen it and anyone I’ve been speaking to has never seen it,” Mr Shannon said
The President of the British sheep veterinary association, Tim Bebbington, said it was very unusual.
In his 26 years as a sheep vet, Mr Bebbington told the BBC that the most lambs he has ever seen from one ewe, is five.
Full Story: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-foyle-west-35941274
Evaluation of chemical castration with calcium chloride versus surgical castration in donkeys: testosterone as an endpoint marker
Abstract
Background
For the last few years, researchers have been interested in developing a method for chemical sterilization which may be a better alternative to surgical castration. An ideal chemical sterilant would be one that effectively arrests spermatogenesis and androgenesis as well as libido with absence of toxic or other side effects. Calcium chloride in various solutions and concentrations has been tested in many animal species, but few studies have been evaluated it in equines as a chemical sterilant. So, the objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of chemical castration with 20 % calcium chloride dissolved in absolute ethanol in comparison with surgical castration in donkeys based on the changes in the serum testosterone level and the histopathological changes in treated testes.
Methods
Twelve clinically healthy adult male donkeys were used in this study. Donkeys were divided randomly and equally into two groups: a surgical (S) group (n = 6) and a chemical (C) group (n = 6). Animals in the (S) group were subjected to surgical castration while those in the (C) group received a single bilateral intratesticular injection of 20 % calcium chloride dissolved in absolute ethanol (20 ml/testis). Animals were kept under clinical observation for 60 days. Changes in animals’ behavior and gross changes in external genitalia were monitored daily. Serum concentrations of testosterone were measured prior to treatment and at 15, 30, 45 and 60 days post-treatment. Testicles in the (C) group were examined histopathologically at the end of the experiment.
Results
Chemical castration with intratesticular calcium chloride vs. surgical castration failed to reduce serum concentrations of testosterone throughout the whole duration of the study; however it induced orchitis that was evident by focal necrotic areas in seminiferous tubules, cellular infiltration of neutrophils, proliferative intertubular fibrosis with a compensatory proliferation of Leydig cells. Donkeys tolerated the intratesticular injection of calcium chloride. There were no detectable changes in the general health status of the animals with the exception of swelling in external genitalia, scrotal ulcerations and fistulas. Food and water consumption and the gait of animals remained unaffected.
Conclusion
Intratesticular calcium chloride can’t be considered an effective method for chemical castration in donkeys.
Source: BMC Veterinary Research, 2016, 12:46
BMC series – open, inclusive and trusted
DOI: 10.1186/s12917-016-0670-3
© Ibrahim et al. 2016
Authors: Ahmed Ibrahim Email author, Magda M. Ali, Nasser S. Abou-Khalil and Marwa F. Ali
Received: 7 September 2015
Accepted: 2 March 2016
Published: 8 March 2016
Full article on BioMed Central (Open Access Publisher).
Abstract only provided above as allowed by Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).