To increase meat production at a level parallel to meet the demand of the increasing world population in recent years, reproductive management in farm animals must be successful. In order to reach the desired level of fertility in sheep, particularly starting with the non-prolific breeds, anoestrus period applications should be carried out effectively. In this study, different doses of equine chorionic gonadotropin were applied to determine the effective eCG dose for underwent estrus synchronization with progesterone in anoestrus Kangal ewes whose milk and wool yield has been completely abandoned by the breeder for various reasons and whose only economic benefit is lamb production. A total of 225 Kangal Akkaraman Sheep breeds, 2 years old, with a body condition score of 2.5-3.5 and an average weight of 40-50 kg, were included in the study. In line with this purpose, ewes were divided into 3 groups, containing 75 primiparous sheep. A vaginal sponge containing progesterone was inserted into the animals in all groups on day 0. Seven days after this application (on the 7th day), vaginal sponges were removed and Prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) was applied. When the vaginal sponge was removed and the PGF2α was administered, 400 IU of eCG was given to animals in Group 1 (n:75), 500 IU of eCG was administrated to animals in Group 2 (n:75), and 600 IU of eCG was injected to the ewes in Group 3. The effectiveness of different doses of eCG application on reproductive parameters such as estrous rate, pregnancy rate, multiple pregnancy rate, and the number of offspring was evaluated. While no statistical difference could be determined between the groups in terms of the stated reproductive parameters, numerically more offspring were obtained in the group in which eCG was applied at a low rate (Group 1). In the light of this information, it is concluded that 400 IU eCG can be as effective as 600 IU eCG in sexual stimulation of Kangal ewes in anestrus.

The aim of the present study was to compare the incidence of brucellosis in groups of Kangal Akkaraman sheep flocks raised in farm conditions in Sivas province. The first and second groups of the sheep flocks were part of the 8 sub-projects which belong to The Project entitled “Nationwide Genetic Improvement of Small Ruminants in Farm Condition” continued for 7 and 1-3 years, respectively. The third group of the sheep flocks was not part of this nationwide project. The study material consisted of 1491 units of blood serum (n=278, 1166 and 47 for the first, second and third groups, respectively). Brucella antibodies were looked for in blood serum using tube and slide agglutination tests. The incidences of brucellosis were 4% and 7.5% in flocks which were part of the nationwide project continued for 7 and 3 years, respectively and 25.5% for the flocks not part of the nationwide project. The differences between groups were found statistically significant. Even though there was no brucella vaccination programs in the flocks of the nationwide project, practices such as regular controls of the flocks by veterinary technicians, drug/vaccination applications for parasites and some other diseases, removal of rams positive for brucella before breeding season significantly reduced the incidence of brucella. As a result, promoting good breeding practices along with the brucella vaccination program applied by the related Ministry can be very beneficial for the eradication of brucella disease that is a big problem for the country.