Freemartinism in replacement ewe-lambs of the Ripollesa sheep breed
10.4142/jvs.2018.19.6.858
- Author:
Pilar MARÍ
1
;
Joaquim CASELLAS
Author Information
1. Department of Animal and Food Science, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain. joaquim.casellas@uab.cat
- Publication Type:Case Report
- Keywords:
Ripollesa breed;
freemartin;
sheep
- MeSH:
Animals;
Cattle;
Female;
Freemartinism;
Genitalia;
Heterosexuality;
Humans;
Incidence;
Male;
Multiple Birth Offspring;
Parturition;
Physical Examination;
Pregnancy, Twin;
Sheep
- From:Journal of Veterinary Science
2018;19(6):858-861
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
The freemartinism syndrome affects almost all female calves born as co-twins to male calves, whereas little is known about this phenomenon in female sheep. Within this context, 1,185 ewe-lambs from the Ripollesa sheep breed were genotyped for the presence of oY1 polymorphism (a non-autosomal region of the Y chromosome). Neither ewe-lambs from single births (856) nor ewe-lambs from all-female multiple births (170) were revealed as freemartins, whereas five of 159 ewe-lambs from multiple births with male co-twins were freemartins (3.15 ± 1.38%). All freemartin ewe-lambs were confirmed by physical examination of external genitalia. The results confirm a low incidence of freemartinism from heterosexual twin pregnancies in Ripollesa sheep.
