The aim at this study was to determine the relationships among the lamb birth weight, the average cotyledon surface area (ACSA) and cotyledon size. Data were collected from 101 ewes. The general linear model and Pearson correlation coefficient were used for statistical comparison and determination of relationships between variables. Average birth weight (BW), placental weight (PW), cotyledon number (CN), placental efficiency (PE), cotyledon density (CD), cotyledon efficiency (CE) and ACSA were 4.175±.09, 448.8±13.4, 53.34±1.9, 9.65±.3, 0.125±.00, 10.66±.34 and 7.81±.19 cm², respectively. There was no difference between BW and PE for parity; however, PW, CN, CD, CE and ACSA were affected (p<0.05) by parity. ACSA was found to be the lowest (7.33±.99) with a parity of 2 and the highest (8.61±1.5) with a parity of 4. Birth type affected significantly BW, CN, CD (p<0.05), PW (p<0.001) and ACSA (p<0.01). As the parity progressed, cotyledon depth (CDe) (0.74±.30) and cotyledon width (CWi) (2.64±.46) increased. ACSA, which is a new parameter for uterine capacity, had positive correlations with BW (0.498; p<0.01), PW (0.415; p<0.01), large cotyledon number (CNl) (0.685; p<0.01), cotyledon length (CL) (0.932; p<0.01), CWi (0.920; p<0.01) and cotyledon depth (0.388; p<0.01). The most important finding of this study was the positive correlation between the birth weight and the average cotyledon surface area. This study indicates that average cotyledon surface area and cotyledon size traits (CL and CWi) may be more effective parameters to produce heavier lambs. In conclusion, it is thought that lamb deaths will decrease as a result of triggering placental development with proper feeding during pregnancy. For this purpose, it is recommended to conduct new studies examining the relationship between pregnancy feeding and ACSA. Highlights. Cotyledon number and cotyledon density decrease with parity, while CE increases. The birth type has a significant effect on BW, PW, CN and CD. There are positive correlations between the placental weight and large cotyledon number, cotyledon length and cotyledon width. ACSA can be used as an important parameter to increase the weight of lambs. Especially in multiple birthing, ACSA has been found to be a more determinant index to express uterine capacity instead of PE or CE.

The aim of this study was to classify placental characteristics of Akkaraman, Morkaraman, Karayaka, Awassi, Malya, and Bafra sheep breeds using the hierarchical clustering method. In total, 240 individual data records were used as experimental material. Placental characteristics such as total cotyledon surface area, small and large cotyledon length, small cotyledon depth, etc. were used as explanatory variables to classify the breeds’ characteristics. Hierarchical clustering was used with the nearest neighbour method with Euclidean distance in order to classify the sheep breeds’ variations. As a result, six breeds were separated into three clusters: the first cluster consisted of Bafra, Karayaka, and Awassi breeds; the second consisted of Akkaraman and Malya breeds; and the third cluster included only the Morkaraman breed. Bafra and Karayaka were pointed as the nearest breeds, with a similarity of 98.7% in terms of placental characteristics. The similarity rate of the Akkaraman and Malya breeds was at a level of 97.5%, whereas it was 96.8% for Bafra, Karayaka, and Awassi breeds. The similarity of Akkaraman, Karayaka, Awassi, Malya, and Bafra sheep breeds was estimated as 95.7%. The overall similarity was found to be at a level of 93.2% among sheep breeds. The outcomes of the study might be useful as a selection tool for reproductivity and can be used to select the breed to be reared.

In vitro maturation (IVM) of mammalian oocytes, which influences subsequent in vitro development of embryos, is affected by the macromolecule content in culture media for the success of oocyte maturation competence, in which the cytoplasmic and nuclear reprogramming events occur. The insulin-like growth factor family (IGFs) promotes the maturation of bovine oocytes and the expansion of cumulus cells and also inhibits apoptosis. This study was, therefore, designed to examine the effects of macromolecules (bovine serum albumin, BSA; fetal calf serum, FCS; and polyvinyl alcohol, PVA) on in vitro nuclear maturation, total cellular protein, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) enzyme activity, and the gene expression level of IGF1, IGF2, and their receptor in bovine oocytes. Oocytes obtained from bovine ovaries were cultured in bicarbonate-buffered medium 199 supplemented with 4 mg/mL BSA, 10% FCS, 1 mg/mL PVA, and without macromolecule supplement (control) during 22 h in the air with a humidified atmosphere and 5% CO₂ at 38.5 °C temperature. Supplementation of BSA and FCS increased (χ² = 9.84; p < 0.05) the percentages of oocytes that reached metaphase II compared to the control and PVA. The amount of protein per ml of cell extracts of oocytes matured in FCS supplemented culture media was higher (p < 0.05) than the oocytes in the PVA and control. The levels of GPx enzyme activity in cell extracts isolated from oocytes in each experimental group did not change over time, but the GPx enzyme activity in oocytes matured in PVA-supplemented culture media was lower (p < 0.05) than in oocytes in the other experimental groups. Transcript for the IGF1 gene was not detected in all experimental groups, but the supplementation of BSA and FCS significantly elevated the transcript level of the IGF2 gene. In addition, the maturation of oocytes with BSA-supplemented media increased the transcript level of the IGF1R gene, whereas the transcript level of the IGF2R gene was similar among macromolecule supplementation groups. The current study concluded that BSA and FCS could improve in vitro bovine oocyte development due to supporting nuclear maturation and increasing the total cellular protein content, GPx enzyme, and transcript activity.

Bu çalışma, İvesi ve Romanov x İvesi (ROxİV) (F1) melez koyunlarının bazı döl verim özellikleri ve kuzularının yaşama gücü ve büyüme gelişme özelliklerinin belirlenmesi amacıyla yürütülmüştür. Hayvan materyali olarak 30 baş İvesi, 37 ROxİV koyun ve bu koyunlardan doğan toplam 79 baş kuzu kullanılmıştır. Doğum oranı, ikiz doğum oranı ve bir doğuma düşen kuzu sayısı İvesi koyunlarında sırasıyla % 83, % 4 ve 1.04; ROxİV melez koyunlarında ise % 91.9, % 55.9 ve 1.56 olarak belirlenmiştir. Kuzuların sütten kesime, 120. güne ve mera sonuna kadar yaşama oranları İvesi ırkında % 96.2, % 84.6 ve % 80.8; ROxİV melezlerinde ise % 81.1, % 71.7 ve % 60.4 olarak bulunmuştur. ROxİV koyunlarının doğum oranları İvesi koyunlarından önemli ölçüde yüksek iken, İvesi kuzularının hayatta kalma oranlarının daha iyi olduğu ve mera sonunda ROxİV kuzularında ölüm oranının %39.6'ya ulaştığı gözlenmiştir. Ortalama doğum ağırlığı, sütten kesim ağırlığı ve mera sonu ağırlığı İvesi kuzularında 3.87, 15.56 ve 24.95 kg; ROxİV kuzularında 3.23, 12.77 ve 19.89 kg olarak belirlenmiştir. Doğum ağırlığı, sütten kesim ağırlığı, mera sonu ağırlığı üzerine genotip, ana yaşı ve doğum tipinin etkisi istatistiki olarak önemli bulunmuştur. Sonuç olarak, ROxİV melezlemesinin döl verimini artırdığı, ancak kuzuların çeşitli dönemlerde hayatta kalma oranları ve canlı ağırlıklarının İvesi kuzularına kıyasla daha düşük oldukları tespit edilmiştir.

In this study, it was aimed that determination of udder measurements of Morkaraman, Tuj and Awassi ewes and the correlation between the results. Udder depth and width of the Awassi was higher than other breeds and respectively 13.09±0.32 cm, 14.07±0.43 cm. In Morkaraman, teats length (2.65±0.06 cm) and diameter of the teats (1.83±0.06 cm) were higher from other breeds. The important statistical difference was found between breeds for udder depth (P less than 0.05), very important statistical difference was found between breeds for udder height and teats diameter (P less than 0.01). In this study, teats length and teats diameter were above the limits specified for machine milking for Morkaraman, Tuj and Awassi.

Fatty acid composition in milk has a vital importance in the early lactation period when lambs are milking. In this study, the change in milk fatty acid composition of Akkaraman ewe and Hair goats fed under the same conditions in the first 30 days of lactation was investigated. 10 Akkaraman ewe and 10 Hair goats were used in 2-5 parities. Ewe and goats were born in February. The animals were kept to the same feeding indoor, while experiment was going on. In addition to 1 kg of barley per animal, wheat straw was given ad libitum. Individual milk samples were taken from each animal on 0th, 1st, 3rd, 7th, 15th and 30th of lactation days. While C16:1, C18:3n3 were found more in goat milk (p