Effects of Nutrition and Genetic Factors of Donors on Ovum Pick-up in Japanese Black Monozygotic Twin Heifers

The aim of the present experiment was to examine the factors of variable consequence in the perform-ances of ovum pick up (OPU) using four pairs of Japanese Black monozygotic twin heifers aged +* to +. months-old. Each twin was allocated to two di # erent groups concerning nutrition ; one group was given feed for fattening and the other was given feed for reproduction. OPU was performed once a week for as many time as possible during the experiment. The number of OPU practice fluctuated from +, to ,0 due to individual di # erences. Records up to +, th OPU practice of all groups were employed for statistical analyses. The estimated number of follicles on OPU was not significantly di # erent between the nutrition, but a significant di # erence was observed between four pairs of twins. The rate of the number of oocytes recovered by OPU to the estimated number of follicles was significantly di # erent between nutrition and between four pairs of twins. No di # erence on the quality of the oocytes recovered was observed between nutrition and between four pairs of twins. In conclusion, it was suggested that the performance of OPU could be a # ected by the quantity of ovarian follicles genetically determined, but not by nutrition such as feed for fattening or reproduction. The di # erence in the rate of the number of oocytes recovered to the estimated numbers of ovarian follicles might be due to transrectal and transvagina OPU manipulation skill mainly influenced by the quantity of fat in abdominal cavity which can be nutritionally and genetically controlled.

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