Estradiol route and non-surgical embryo recovery in synchronized Santa Inês ewes

Abstract: Animal surgery procedures are being progressively restricted worldwide in the context of embryo transfer. In small ruminants, the needs for development of alternative and efficient non-surgical techniques for embryo transfer have been emphasized. Non-surgical embryo recovery is well consolidated in Brazil in cattle and goats, while in sheep it remains a challenge. The aim of this study was to check the efficiency of different ways of estradiol benzoate administration on cervix dilation and embryo recovery in synchronized Santa Inês ewes. Considering that Santa Inês sheep have up to 1.3 lambs we can conclude that it is possible to perform efficient non-surgical embryo recovery in non-superovulated synchronized Santa Inês ewes, regardless the way of estradiol administration.Proceedings of the 29th Annual Meeting of the Brazilian Embryo Technology Society (SBTE), Gramado, RS, Brazil, August, 2015 and 31st Meeting of the European Embryo Transfer Association (AETE), Ghent, Belgium, September 11th and 12th, 2015