Ayşe Sari

This study is based on face-to-face surveys conducted with 42 sheep farm owners operating in the villages of Pınarkaya, Büyükkoraş, Kavaközü, and Küçükkoraş in the Ayrancı district of Karaman province. The aim of this study was to evaluate the socioeconomic status, nutritional habits, yield traits, and reproductive performance of these enterprises. The findings indicated that the average age of the farm owners was 52.5 years, and 100% of them continued this profession as their father's. However, only 33% of the farm owners were determined to continue this profession. Brucella zoonosis was detected in 26.2% of the farm owners. The average number of sheep on the farms was 207.8 head, the lactation period was 130 days, and the average milk yield per lactation was 71.4 kg. The average weaning age of lambs was 113.3 days. All farms fed pasture and kept their sheep on pasture for an average of 222 days. All farms were satisfied with the pasture quality but did not take any initiative to improve it. Furthermore, only 14.3% of the farms supplemented pasture with feed. All farms used the natural mating method for breeding, with one ram for every 30 sheep, and an average lamb mortality rate of 16.8%. In conclusion, ensuring the sustainability of sheep farming requires educational programs on modern feeding and reproductive practices, alongside structural incentives to encourage the younger generation to return to the sector.

Amaç: Kemoterapötik ilaçlar, sperm kalitesini ve erkek fertilitesini etkileyerek üreme bozukluklarına neden olabilir. Birçok kanser türünün tedavisinde aktif olarak kullanılan paklitaksel (PTS), dokularda oksidatif stresin artmasına neden olarak toksik etki gösterir. Mevcut çalışmada, farelere PTS uygulaması yapılarak PTS'nin erkek üreme sistemi üzerindeki hasar verici etkilerinin ortaya konulması amaçlandı. Araçlar ve Yöntem: Çalışmada 8-10 haftalık erkek Balb/c cinsi fareler kullanıldı. Her bir grupta n:5 olacak şekilde hayvanlar rastgele seçildi. 1, 3 ve 5. günlerde intraperitoneal olarak kontrol grubu farelerine serum fizyolojik, PTS grubu farelerine ise 2 mg/kg PTS uygulandı. Hayvanlar, deneyin sonunda (7. gün) sakrifiye edildi, testis dokuları toplandı ve histopatolojik incelemeler (Hematoksilen-eozin, Masson trikrom, Periyodik asit schiff) yapıldı. Ayrıca farelerden sperm örnekleri toplandı, yayma preparatlar hazırlandı ve DNA kromatin bütünlüğü Toluidin mavisi boyama ile değerlendirildi. Bulgular: PTS grubunda testis histolojik yapısında bozulmalar gözlendi. Seminifer tübüllerde bozulma, germinal epiteldeki spermatojenik seri hücrelerinde azalma, seminifer tübüllerin bazal membranında bozulma, interstisyel bağ dokuda azalma, ödem ve hemoraji gözlendi. Ayrıca, PTS grubunda zayıf bir peritübüler interstisyel doku reaksiyonu ve leydig hücrelerinde azalma mevcuttu. Gruplar DNA kromatin bütünlüğü bakımından karşılaştırıldığında, PTS grubunda DNA bütünlüğünde bozulmanın yüksek düzeyde olduğu ve gruplar arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir farklılık belirlendi (p=0.009). Sonuç: Elde ettiğimiz bulgular, PTS'nin fare testis dokusunda toksisiteye neden olabileceğini ve sperm DNA integritesini olumsuz olarak etkileyerek erkek infertilitesine neden olabileceğini göstermektedir.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of antral follicle number on oocyte yield and IVEP in Holstein breed donors. The study groups were constituted following ultrasonographic examinations conducted on 23 Holstein heifers at one-week intervals. The Low-AFC group (n = 8) comprised animals with an average antral follicles counts in the ovary of ≤ 15, as determined by ultrasonographic examination. The High-AFC group (n = 9) comprised animals with an average antral follicle number of ≥30. Oocytes were collected from animals in both groups four times, one week apart, any day of the estrous cycle. The oocytes were classified according to their morphological characteristics and subsequently incorporated into the in vitro embryo production process. The total and viable oocyte numbers were found to be significantly greater in the High-AFC group than in the Low-AFC group (P < 0.01). The number of blastocysts obtained per session was also greater in the High-AFC group (P < 0.01). No statistically significant difference was observed between the blastocyst and viable oocyte rates in the two groups. Consequently, oocytes and blastocysts were obtained from Holsetin donors with high antral follicle counts in greater numbers. It was thought that the number of antral follicles in Holstein breed donors could be employed as a parameter in donor animal selection to increase the success of OPU/IVEP.

In this study, 49 dairy farms (total cow number: 2234) in Ereğli district of Konya province were surveyed using a face-to-face questionnaire to obtain information about the dairy farms animal nutrition, care, and reproductive efficiency of dairy farms. The research material consisted of the data obtained from breeders through the questionnaire. The mean values of the calving interval and number of days open were 374.73 (days), and 95.61 (days), and the number of artificial inseminations and natural mating per pregnancy were 2.27 and 1.7 respectively. In our study, the mean duration of the first postpartum estrus was found to be 44.30 days and 71.42% of the dairy farms had estrous between 20-45 days. It was observed that 95.9% of the dairy cattle owners thought that the energy level of the ration, 85.7% of the protein level of the ration, and 73.5% of the vitamin-mineral supplementation were effective on fertility. It was observed that only 10.2% of dairy cattle owners used pasture for nutritional purposes and 89.8% of those who used pasture thought that pasture was inadequate. It is also observed that the breeders in the region are aware of the nutritional conditions. It is also observed that the dairy farmers in the area are aware of the nutritional conditions. In conclusion, it is observed that the dairy cattle farms in the Ereğli district of Konya province are not effective in terms of the reproductive parameters evaluated in the study. Also, these results regarding grazing clearly show that grazing is insufficient in terms of animal nutrition.