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Reproductive ability of female goats following recovery from clinical peste des petits ruminants
Small Ruminant Research 32 (1999) 187±189
Technical note
Reproductive ability of female goats following recovery from clinical peste des petits ruminants M.C.O. Ezeibe*, L.O. Wosu Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nigeria, P.M.B. 011, Nsukka, Nigeria Accepted 22 September 1998
Abstract The ability of female goats to conceive and bear kids following clinical peste des petits ruminants (PPR) was investigated in 18 does of the west African dwarf breed that recovered from an attack of PPR. The time interval it took for each doe to conceive post-recovery was calculated by subtracting the mean gestation period of goats (152 days) from the interval between date of recovery and date of kidding post-PPR disease. Ten of the does (55.6%) conceived earlier than 38 days, post-recovery. Six does (i.e. 33.3%) conceived at periods between 38 days and 57 days post-recovery. In two does (11.11%), pregnancy occurred later than 57 days post-recovery. # 1999 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. Keywords: Reproduction; Female goats; Post-PPR
1. Introduction Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) causes abortion in pregnant does (Nduaka and Ihemelandu, 1973). Also vulvovaginitis has been reported as one of the lesions of PPR (Wosu, 1992). However, the impact of this structural damage to the reproductive system of female goats is not known. This is largely because most cases of PPR die (Wosu, 1992). With successful management of PPR disease in west African dwarf goats (Ezeibe, 1994), it was thought desirable to study the effect of PPR on the reproductive life of recovered does. The result would be useful in the classi®cation of PPR either as a reproductive disease or a non-reproductive disease. Also, it will provide farmers with information on the reproductive ability of their does *Corresponding author.
after recovery from PPR. West African dwarf goats are polyoestrous year round and are highly proli®c (Okorie, 1978). Their oestrus cycle lasts 19 days and their gestation period is 152 days 4 days (Siegmund, 1979). They are therefore good models for studying effect of PPR on the reproductive ability of female goats. 2. Materials and methods Eighteen adult female goats (does) of the west African dwarf breed from ®ve different farms were used for the study following PPR disease. All ®ve farms were located in the Nsukka local government area in south-eastern Nigeria. Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) was con®rmed in the does by observation of the characteristic clinical signs of the disease as
0921-4488/99/$ ± see front matter # 1999 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. PII: S0921-4488(98)00173-4
188
M.C.O. Ezeibe, L.O. Wosu / Small Ruminant Research 32 (1999) 187±189
described by Nduaka and Ihemelandu (1973) and by haemagglutination test as described by Wosu (1991). They were managed with antibiotics and antidiarrhoeics as described by Ezeibe (1994) The date on which a recovering animal appeared clinically normal and resumed normal appetite and feeding habit was recorded as the date it recovered. Each doe was allowed to remain in the farm where it had been during the PPR outbreak. In each of the ®ve farms, mature healthy bucks were provided at rate of one buck to three mature does, which included the experimental does. The bucks were selected from farms not affected in the outbreak. Their breeding performance histories were known to be good. Their health status was assessed by detailed clinical examination as described by Nduaka and Ihemelandu (1973). Mating was not controlled. Feeding and management varied according to individual farms but in each case the management system was the semiintensive husbandry method. This basically means that the goats were kept in fenced enclosures with sheds provided for them to run into for shelter from rain, intense heat of the sun or for shade from the sun. They were fed with fodder cut green by the farmers and with wastes from the kitchen. The date each experimental doe kidded post-PPR disease was recorded. Intervals between date of recovery from PPR and date of kidding post-PPR were calculated for each goat by subtracting date of recovery for each doe from its date of kidding post-PPR. Similarly, the interval between recovery and conception was calculated for each doe by subtracting mean gestation period for goats (152 days) from the interval between recovery and kidding post-PPR disease. 3. Results All the 18 does were able to conceive within 3 months of recovery from PPR. Ten of the experimental goats (55.6%) conceived within 38 days post-recovery (two oestrus cycle interval). Six does (33.3%) conceived at intervals between 39 days and 57 days postrecovery (three oestrus cycle interval). Two does (11.1%) conceived at intervals more that 57 days (i.e. beyond the interval of three oestrus cycles) post-PPR. All the does carried the pregnancies to term and kidded normally. The intervals between recovery
Table 1 Conception and kidding intervals of west African dwarf goats following recovery from clinical PPR Number of goats
Interval between recovery from PPR and conception (in days)
Interval between recovery from PPR and kidding (in days)
None 10 6 1 1
1±19 20±38 39±57 58±76 77±95
1±152 153±304 305±456 457±608 609±760
from PPR and conception for the experimental does post-PPR are shown in Table 1. 4. Discussion The early conception of the does following PPR disease shows that female goats which recover from PPR conceive as soon as they regain physiological normalcy. Also, that all the goats carried pregnancy successfully to term indicates that PPR does not cause important structural damage to the female reproductive system. Therefore abortion commonly reported in PPR may be due more to general debility. Peste des petit ruminant does not appear to qualify as a reproductive disease. This study also proves that even under ®eld conditions, does that recover from PPR can be retained as breeding stock. However, if there is need to calculate mean conception interval post-PPR, uniform conditions of feeding, management and season would be needed. The variation in feeding, management practice, and bucks used in this work may be responsible for the delay in conception noted in 11.1% of the does.
References Ezeibe, M.C.O., 1994. Clinical and virus excretion studies on field outbreaks of PPR. M.Sc. dissertation, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, pp. 14±18. Nduaka, O., Ihemelandu, E.C., 1973. Observation of pneumenteritis in dwarf goats in eastern states of Nigeria. Preliminary report. Bull. Epizoot. Dis. Africa 21, 87±94. Okorie, J.U., 1978. A Guide to Livestock Production in Nigeria. Macmillan, London, p. 183.
M.C.O. Ezeibe, L.O. Wosu / Small Ruminant Research 32 (1999) 187±189 Siegmund, O.H., 1979. Merck Veterinary Manual, 5th ed. Merck and Co., Rahway, pp. 795±796. Wosu, L.O., 1991. Haemagglutination test for diagnosis of peste des petits ruminants in goats with sample from live animals. Small Rumin. Res. 5, 169±172.
189
Wosu, L.O., 1992. Current status of peste des petits ruminants (PPR) disease in small ruminants ± A review article. Int. Conf. Small Ruminants Res. Africa NAPRI, Zaria, Nigeria.
Technical note
Reproductive ability of female goats following recovery from clinical peste des petits ruminants M.C.O. Ezeibe*, L.O. Wosu Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nigeria, P.M.B. 011, Nsukka, Nigeria Accepted 22 September 1998
Abstract The ability of female goats to conceive and bear kids following clinical peste des petits ruminants (PPR) was investigated in 18 does of the west African dwarf breed that recovered from an attack of PPR. The time interval it took for each doe to conceive post-recovery was calculated by subtracting the mean gestation period of goats (152 days) from the interval between date of recovery and date of kidding post-PPR disease. Ten of the does (55.6%) conceived earlier than 38 days, post-recovery. Six does (i.e. 33.3%) conceived at periods between 38 days and 57 days post-recovery. In two does (11.11%), pregnancy occurred later than 57 days post-recovery. # 1999 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. Keywords: Reproduction; Female goats; Post-PPR
1. Introduction Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) causes abortion in pregnant does (Nduaka and Ihemelandu, 1973). Also vulvovaginitis has been reported as one of the lesions of PPR (Wosu, 1992). However, the impact of this structural damage to the reproductive system of female goats is not known. This is largely because most cases of PPR die (Wosu, 1992). With successful management of PPR disease in west African dwarf goats (Ezeibe, 1994), it was thought desirable to study the effect of PPR on the reproductive life of recovered does. The result would be useful in the classi®cation of PPR either as a reproductive disease or a non-reproductive disease. Also, it will provide farmers with information on the reproductive ability of their does *Corresponding author.
after recovery from PPR. West African dwarf goats are polyoestrous year round and are highly proli®c (Okorie, 1978). Their oestrus cycle lasts 19 days and their gestation period is 152 days 4 days (Siegmund, 1979). They are therefore good models for studying effect of PPR on the reproductive ability of female goats. 2. Materials and methods Eighteen adult female goats (does) of the west African dwarf breed from ®ve different farms were used for the study following PPR disease. All ®ve farms were located in the Nsukka local government area in south-eastern Nigeria. Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) was con®rmed in the does by observation of the characteristic clinical signs of the disease as
0921-4488/99/$ ± see front matter # 1999 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. PII: S0921-4488(98)00173-4
188
M.C.O. Ezeibe, L.O. Wosu / Small Ruminant Research 32 (1999) 187±189
described by Nduaka and Ihemelandu (1973) and by haemagglutination test as described by Wosu (1991). They were managed with antibiotics and antidiarrhoeics as described by Ezeibe (1994) The date on which a recovering animal appeared clinically normal and resumed normal appetite and feeding habit was recorded as the date it recovered. Each doe was allowed to remain in the farm where it had been during the PPR outbreak. In each of the ®ve farms, mature healthy bucks were provided at rate of one buck to three mature does, which included the experimental does. The bucks were selected from farms not affected in the outbreak. Their breeding performance histories were known to be good. Their health status was assessed by detailed clinical examination as described by Nduaka and Ihemelandu (1973). Mating was not controlled. Feeding and management varied according to individual farms but in each case the management system was the semiintensive husbandry method. This basically means that the goats were kept in fenced enclosures with sheds provided for them to run into for shelter from rain, intense heat of the sun or for shade from the sun. They were fed with fodder cut green by the farmers and with wastes from the kitchen. The date each experimental doe kidded post-PPR disease was recorded. Intervals between date of recovery from PPR and date of kidding post-PPR were calculated for each goat by subtracting date of recovery for each doe from its date of kidding post-PPR. Similarly, the interval between recovery and conception was calculated for each doe by subtracting mean gestation period for goats (152 days) from the interval between recovery and kidding post-PPR disease. 3. Results All the 18 does were able to conceive within 3 months of recovery from PPR. Ten of the experimental goats (55.6%) conceived within 38 days post-recovery (two oestrus cycle interval). Six does (33.3%) conceived at intervals between 39 days and 57 days postrecovery (three oestrus cycle interval). Two does (11.1%) conceived at intervals more that 57 days (i.e. beyond the interval of three oestrus cycles) post-PPR. All the does carried the pregnancies to term and kidded normally. The intervals between recovery
Table 1 Conception and kidding intervals of west African dwarf goats following recovery from clinical PPR Number of goats
Interval between recovery from PPR and conception (in days)
Interval between recovery from PPR and kidding (in days)
None 10 6 1 1
1±19 20±38 39±57 58±76 77±95
1±152 153±304 305±456 457±608 609±760
from PPR and conception for the experimental does post-PPR are shown in Table 1. 4. Discussion The early conception of the does following PPR disease shows that female goats which recover from PPR conceive as soon as they regain physiological normalcy. Also, that all the goats carried pregnancy successfully to term indicates that PPR does not cause important structural damage to the female reproductive system. Therefore abortion commonly reported in PPR may be due more to general debility. Peste des petit ruminant does not appear to qualify as a reproductive disease. This study also proves that even under ®eld conditions, does that recover from PPR can be retained as breeding stock. However, if there is need to calculate mean conception interval post-PPR, uniform conditions of feeding, management and season would be needed. The variation in feeding, management practice, and bucks used in this work may be responsible for the delay in conception noted in 11.1% of the does.
References Ezeibe, M.C.O., 1994. Clinical and virus excretion studies on field outbreaks of PPR. M.Sc. dissertation, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, pp. 14±18. Nduaka, O., Ihemelandu, E.C., 1973. Observation of pneumenteritis in dwarf goats in eastern states of Nigeria. Preliminary report. Bull. Epizoot. Dis. Africa 21, 87±94. Okorie, J.U., 1978. A Guide to Livestock Production in Nigeria. Macmillan, London, p. 183.
M.C.O. Ezeibe, L.O. Wosu / Small Ruminant Research 32 (1999) 187±189 Siegmund, O.H., 1979. Merck Veterinary Manual, 5th ed. Merck and Co., Rahway, pp. 795±796. Wosu, L.O., 1991. Haemagglutination test for diagnosis of peste des petits ruminants in goats with sample from live animals. Small Rumin. Res. 5, 169±172.
189
Wosu, L.O., 1992. Current status of peste des petits ruminants (PPR) disease in small ruminants ± A review article. Int. Conf. Small Ruminants Res. Africa NAPRI, Zaria, Nigeria.