Exogenous Melatonin Improves the Reproductive Outcomes of Yearling Iberian Red Deer (<i>Cervus elaphus hispanicus</i>) Hinds

• 發表在: Animals
• Main Authors: José Antonio Ortiz, Olga García-Álvarez, Mariano Amo-Salas, Alejandro Maroto-Morales, María Iniesta-Cuerda, María del Rocío Fernández-Santos, Ana Josefa Soler, José Julián Garde
• 格式: Article
• 語言: 英语
• 出版: MDPI AG 2021-01-01
• 主題: melatonin implants; <i>Cervus elaphus hispanicus</i>; yearling hind; fertility; calves’ weight
• 在線閱讀: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/1/224

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of melatonin implants on the reproductive performance of yearling Iberian red deer (<i>Cervus elaphus hispanicus</i>) hinds. It also explored exogenous melatonin administration as a tool to minimize the negative effect of a low yearling hind’s liveweight on their reproductive efficiency. In addition, the effect of melatonin-treated yearling hinds on non-treated hinds was studied in order to provide a practical and economical protocol to improve farms’ productivity. A total of 4520 Iberian red deer hinds belonging to the same farm were included in this study. Melatonin (108 mg/hind) implants were administered three-fold every 30 days before the breeding season. Fertility rates, calves’ weights and calving dates were registered for each hind. The results showed that exogenous melatonin increased significantly (<i>p</i> < 0.05) the calves’ weight (32.39 ± 1.07 kg vs. 27.65 ± 1.11 kg for Weight 1_calf (July) and 46.59 ± 1.50 kg vs. 41.79 ± 1.54 kg for Weight 2_calf (August, at weaning)) and advanced the calving date by 15 days in yearling hinds compared to the non-treated group. In addition, the administration of melatonin implants before the breeding season was able to minimize the negative effect of low yearling hinds’ liveweight (Weight 1_hind) on their future reproductive outcomes, as the fertility rates increased by 46% and the calves’ weight increased by 7 kg after the melatonin treatment, regardless of the yearlings’ weight. Finally, when both experimental groups (melatonin and non-treated) were kept separate, higher fertility rates (76.73 ± 7.18% vs. 66.94 ± 7.41%) were observed for the melatonin-treated hinds compared to the non-treated hinds. However, when both groups of yearling hinds were maintained together, no significant differences were observed in their fertility outcomes (78.13 ± 21.26% vs. 78.12 ± 23.32%). Therefore, melatonin implants may be used in yearling Iberian red deer hinds as a management tool to improve their reproductive productivity.