A four- year-old MOGHANIAN breed EWE was admitted to the large animal veterinary clinic, University of Tabriz due to dystocia. During obstetrical examination, it was revealed that the cervix has been closed firmly and vagina protruded about 5 cm through the vulva (vaginal prolaps). Based on clinical findings and for saving the dam and lamb(s), the cesarean section was done. A normal alive female lamb twin to a monster dead male was delivered. According to the facial deformity, the monster twin was diagnosed as Cyclops lamb. This is the first report of a Cyclops lamb’s giving birth twine to a normal lamb from Iran.

In this study 3983 body weight records from 1068 EWEs during 1989 to 1999 from the Station of Improvement of Bakhtiari sheep, breed were used to study of factors affecting the EWE body weight and optimum EWE size. Least-squares means (±s.e) of body weight of EWE at mating, lambing, weaning and shearing were 56.80(±0.12), 68.40(±0. 16), 56.66(±0.16) and 60.08(±0.14) kg; respectively. Effects of mating year and age of EWE on body weights were highly significant (P<0.01). Body weights increased with increasing age of EWE, reaching a maximum at 5 to 6 years and thereafter remained fairly constant. Estimation of genetic parameters of body weight at mating were: direct heritability 0.73(±0.02), maternal heritability 0.146(±0.02), total heritability 0.459 and genetic correlation between direct and maternal additive genetic effects -0.70. EWEs ranging in body weight at mating from 55 to 65 kg had the maximum productivity. However, it could be concluded that in order to increase productivity, body weights of EWE at mating should be improved to 60±5kg. In the first step we should improve environmental factors (e.g. management, nutrition,...) and then select within breed. It seems that selection within breed can make a major improvement in body weight at the time of mating but it is expected that genetic progress in body weight at the time of mating may impose some restriction on selection due to negative correlation between direct and maternal values.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the reproductive responses to different flushing treatments in Lori-Bakhtiari EWE-lambs and mature EWEs. For this purpose, a total of 55 EWE-lambs and 245 mature EWEs in a flock containing 400 EWEs, were selected and randomly divided into three groups. The treatments were as: 1; no flushing (control), 2; flushing with barley and 3; flushing with barley and fat. Flushing diets were offered from 2 weeks before to 3 weeks after ram introduction. The conception and parturition rates in EWE-lambs, were significantly affected by treatments (p<0. 05) so that, EWE-lambs in the treatment 3, had the highest conception (95 %) and parturition (95 %) rates. The number of lambs born per EWE exposed, in EWE-lambs at the treatment 3 (122 %) was higher than (p<0. 05) the treatment 2 (94 %) and the control (88 %) but, in mature EWEs, statistical differences (p<0. 05) were found just for EWEs at the treatment 3 and the control EWEs (118 vs. 102). The gestation length for EWE-lambs and mature EWEs at all treatments, were similar. The multiple lambing rate was higher (p<0. 01) in EWE-lambs at the treatment 3 (29 %) than two other treatments. But, differences between mature EWEs at the treatments 3 and 2 for multiple lambing rates (23 and 18 % respectively), were not statistically significant. It seems therefore that, in Lori-Bakhtiari sheep, flushing of mature EWEs with barley grain (with or without fat) and flushing of EWE-lambs with barley grain and fat supplement, will increase their reproductive performance.

Seven healthy and sexually adult EWEs were slaughtered. Immediately after slaughter, whole reproductive systems of animals were collected. Different tissues including: corpus luteum, ovary, muscular and mucosal layers of uterine horn, uterine body, cervix, vagina and vestibula were carefully separated and arginase specific activity (ASA) was determined in tissue extract and compared by modified paranitrophenylglyoxal (PNPG) method. The result of this study indicate that although all the tissues contained different amounts of arginase activity, based on the level of ASA, EWE reproductive system may categorized in two groups which have significant difference (P<0.05). The mucosal layer of vagina showed lowest ASA (32.85 IU/mg tissue soluble protein) in the first group and in the second group, mucosal layer of cervix had highest ASA level (85.14 IU/mg tissue protein). Presence of this enzyme at different levels in all parts of EWE reproductive system may be related to different rate of cell proliferation, differentiation or some other unknown physiological and biochemical activities of the enzyme in this system.

Objective: Evaluation of intra-abdominal pressure during different stages of pregnancy, before and after feeding in pregnant EWEs with single and multiple lambs. Design: Experimental field study.Animals: Seven parous EWEs.Procedure: At the end of the second month of gestation. a balloon was made from condom was inserted into the pelvic cavity through a posterior mid-line laparotomy. Intra-abdominal pressure recorded on days 90, 120, 135 and 143 of pregnancy by infusion of 4ml of physiological saline into the balloon connected to a transducer and a pressure recorder. Statistical analysis: Data from different stages were compared using Student "t" test. Results: The results indicated that, at each stage of pregnancy the intra-abdominal pressure before feeding was higher than that after feeding and in EWEs with single lambs, it was higher than in EWEs with multiple lambs.Clinical implications: It has been postulated that increased intra abdominal pressure associated with increased rumen fill and the presence of multiple lambs are involved in the pathogenesis of cervical-vaginal prolapse. Although in this study, intra-abdominal pressure decreased after feeding and in multiple pregnancy. Therefore feeding and multiple pregnancy, not only can not increase intra abdominal pressure, but also it can not be a pathogenesis of cervical vaginal prolapse.

The present study was carried out to estimate (co)variance components and genetic parameters for some productivity traits of Baluchi EWEs. The data were collected during a 31 year period (1984-2014) at the ex-perimental breeding station of Baluchi sheep, which is located in north-east of Mashhad, Iran. The analysis was based on 14030 records of lambs and 4371 records of EWEs. Investigated traits were litter size at birth (LSB), litter size at weaning (LSW), litter mean weight per lamb born (LMWLB) and litter mean weight per lamb weaned (LMWLW) as basic traits, total litter weight at birth (TLWB) and total litter weight at weaning (TLWW) as composite traits. Genetic analysis of the studied traits was performed applying re-stricted maximum likelihood (REML) procedure by fitting a linear mixed animal model. Direct heritability estimate for LSB, LSW, LMWLB, LMWLW, TLWB and TLWW were 0. 10, 0. 08, 0. 13, 0. 07, 0. 12 and 0. 05, respectively. Corresponding values for repeatability estimates were 0. 18, 0. 17, 0. 19, 0. 15, 0. 18 and 0. 15, respectively. Direct genetic correlation estimates among the studied traits varied from-0. 52 for LSW and LMWLB to 0. 99 for TLWB and TLWW. Phenotypic and environmental correlation estimates were generally lower than those of genetic ones. Although low direct heritability’ s were estimated for the repro-ductive traits, as these traits are of interest then they used as the primary selection criterion to bring about genetic improvement in EWE productivity traits.

The number of lambs sold per EWE mated in the breeding flock has a considerable impact on sheep operation profitability. This depends primarily on fertility, prolificacy (# of lambs), and lamb survival, mothering ability, milk production of the EWE and lamb growth rate. Optimal reproduction does vary by environment and management system – some sheep operations don’t want a lambing rate over 200%. Breed type plays an important part in the prolificacy as well as their tendency to an extended breeding season. Nevertheless, the pounds of lamb produced per EWE mated in the flock affects profitability.