Reproductive Physiology in Livestock
Open access
Peer reviewed
Abstract
Abstract
Reproductive activity imposes significant physiological demands on rams. This study evaluated metabolic and hormonal fluctuations in Sarda rams under semi-extensive management conditions, together with flock reproductive outcomes. Fourteen rams were isolated from ewes, subjected to nutritional flushing, and treated with melatonin implants (3 × 18 mg) before joining the flock. From June to December, body condition score (BCS), non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), urea, triglycerides, cholesterol, testosterone, faecal thyroid hormone metabolites (FTMs), and faecal corticosteroid metabolites (FCMs) were measured every 45 days. Ewes’ pregnancy rates (PRs) and conception dates were determined by ultrasound scanning to estimate flock reproductive performance. BCS declined (p < 0.05) from June (3.11 ± 0.06) to November (2.80 ± 0.06). In November, NEFA, cholesterol and FCMs peaked (p < 0.05), whereas triglycerides and urea reached the lowest levels (p < 0.05). FTMs peaked in June and November (p < 0.05). Testosterone concentrations were three-fold higher in June than the rest of the mating season (p < 0.05), while overall PR was stable. Despite metabolic and endocrine changes in rams, overall flock reproductive performance remained stable. The final stage of mating season may represent a strategic period for targeted management strategies to sustain welfare and long-term performance.
Direct answer
What can I do from this paper page?
Use this page to scan "Metabolic, Hormonal and Body Condition Changes in Melatonin-Implanted Dairy Rams and Flock Pregnancy Rate During the Mating Season: A Longitudinal Field Study" quickly: start with the summary and abstract, then check the authors, source, topics, and related papers. From here, open Scollr to follow Reproductive Physiology in Livestock research, save the paper, or map adjacent work.
Research areas
Follow related topics
Citation
BibTeX
@article{Sotgiu2026Metabolic,
title = {Metabolic, Hormonal and Body Condition Changes in Melatonin-Implanted Dairy Rams and Flock Pregnancy Rate During the Mating Season: A Longitudinal Field Study},
author = {Francesca D. Sotgiu and Claudia Caporali and Antonio Spezzigu and Matteo Sini and Chiara C. Costantino and Andrea Mattu and Valeria Pasciu and Christopher Odey and Francesca Mossa and Fiammetta Berlinguer},
journal = {Animals},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.3390/ani16142196},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16142196}
}FAQ
Using this paper in a discovery workflow
How do I find related work for this paper?
Use the related papers and topic links on this page as starting points. In Scollr, you can also open the paper and build a literature map around its references, citing papers, and related work.
How can I keep up with new Reproductive Physiology in Livestock research papers?
Follow Reproductive Physiology in Livestock research in Scollr. New papers from the topic flow into a personalized feed, and you can save useful studies to revisit later.
Can I cite this paper from this page?
This page includes a static BibTeX block for Metabolic, Hormonal and Body Condition Changes in Melatonin-Implanted Dairy Rams and Flock Pregnancy Rate During the Mating Season: A Longitudinal Field Study. Always verify the DOI, source, and publication details against the publisher record before submitting a manuscript.
Follow this research in Scollr
Follow the topics and authors behind this paper, save useful studies, and build a literature map when you are ready to go deeper.
Get the app