Comparing follicle stimulating hormone from two commercial sources for oocyte production from out-of-season dairy goats

Abstract

Until recently, two sources of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH-P; Schering-Plough; Kenilworth, NJ and Super-Ov; FSH-SOV; AUSA International, Tyler, TX) have been commercially available in the United States and routinely used for superovulation of ruminants. Because there have been no comparative follicle stimulating hormone studies on small ruminants, we determined the difference between the number of follicles induced and the number of oocytes that can subsequently be harvested from goats stimulated with either of these two follicle stimulating hormone products. Anestrous Saanen does were fitted with a progestin implant then randomly assigned to one of two ovarian stimulation groups. Starting 4 d after introducing the progestin implant, donors in treatment 1 were administered daily injections of FSH-P for 4 d. Does in treatment 2 were similarly treated but were administered FSH-SOV for 4 d. Follicle aspirations were performed by laparotomy in the morning of treatment d 8. In summary, no difference was detected between the two stimulatory agents for the number of follicles and quality of oocytes harvested from stimulated does, indicating that these two commercial FSH products could be used successfully for ovarian stimulation of anestrous dairy goats.