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A study was conducted to investigate the effect of follicular size (small, <2 mm diameter and large, ⩾2 mm) on in vitro maturation, fertilization and culture of ovine oocytes. The ovaries (n=80) were collected from abattoirs in Srinagar city, India and transported in normal saline solution containing 50 μg gentamicin sulphate per ml in a thermos flask. The oocytes were collected by puncture technique and good and fair quality oocytes obtained were subjected to maturation in TCM-199 supplemented with epidermal growth factor (EGF) for 24 h under 5% CO2 and humidified atmosphere at 38.5°C. The matured oocytes were then subsequently subjected to fertilization and culturing was done for six days. The results revealed that the maturation rate of large follicle oocytes (85.20%) was higher than small follicle oocytes (52.44%, P=0.002). In vitro fertilization rates for small and large follicle oocytes were not significantly different (79.54 and 76.65%, respectively). However, cleavage and morula rates were higher in large follicle oocytes (58.69 and 34.13%) than small follicle oocytes (38.63 and 19.32%, respectively, P<0.05). In conclusion, there is higher developmental competence of oocytes from the large follicles than small follicles and the pre-maturation of oocyte occurring during follicular growth is essential for subsequent embryonic development in sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seventy five percent samples from repeat breeder cows were positive for bacterial isolates with single organism in 76.67% (46) and mixed infections in 23.33% (14) samples. Staphylococcus spp. was predominant 16 (21.05%) isolates followed by E. coil 14 (18.42%), Bacillus spp. 10 (13.16%), Corynebacterium spp. 10 (13.16 %), Pseudomonas spp. 8 (10.53%), Proteus spp. 8 (10.53%), Klebsiella spp. 6 (7.89%) and Streptococcus spp. 4 (5.26%). Levofloxacin was found to be the most effective antimicrobial with 90.79 % sensitivity followed by Gentamicin (85.53%), Enrofloxacin (73.68%), Neomycin (72.39%), Ciprofloxacin (71.05%), Oxytetracycline (71.05%), Ofloxacin (71.05%), Ceftriaxone (67.11%) and Ampicillin/Cloxacillin (38.16%). The animals were treated based on AST with Levofloxacin, Gentamicin and Ciprofloxacin and untreated control group revealed conception rate of 93.33, 80.00, 73.33 and 20.00% respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]