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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 65(11)

Investigating the trend of blood progesterone concentration following an injection of slow-release progesterone in ewes out of the breeding season

Ali Kadivar https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3221-9635 A * , Mohamad Mahdi Kaviani B , Pegah Khosravian C , Abdonnaser Mohebbi A and Najmeh Davoodian D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran.

B DVM student, Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran.

C Medicinal Plants Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran.

D Research Institute of Animal Embryo Technology, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran.

* Correspondence to: kadivar.ali@sku.ac.ir, kadivar.ali@gmail.com

Handling Editor: Mohanathas Gobikrushanth

Animal Production Science 65, AN25175 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN25175
Submitted: 24 May 2025  Accepted: 5 June 2025  Published: 18 July 2025

© 2025 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing

Abstract

Context

Progesterone has several applications in the reproductive management of domestic animals. Progesterone treatment in intravaginal devices is one of the most important and widely used methods for estrus synchronization in ruminants, especially in ewes and does. The use of intravaginal devices has disadvantages, including vaginitis and purulent discharge. An alternative solution to overcome these side effects is the use of slow-release progesterone injection.

Aims

This study evaluated blood progesterone concentration after injecting three doses of slow-release progesterone (50, 75, and 100 mg) in ewes out of the breeding season.

Methods

A total of 18 cross-bred ewes were used in this trial. Ewes were randomly assigned to three groups (six ewes in each group) that received a single intramuscular injection of 50 (P50), 75 (P75), and 100 (P100) mg of slow-release progesterone. Blood samples were collected 10 times to evaluate progesterone concentration in all three groups.

Key results

Progesterone concentration decreased to <1 ng/mL in the P50 and P75 groups 24 h and 72 h after injection respectively, but stayed at >1 ng/mL in the P100 group for ~7 days after injection.

Conclusions

On the basis of these results, the 100 mg dose is probably better than lower doses, to use in estrus synchronization programs in ewes.

Implications

Achieving a minimum dose of slow-release progesterone that maintains high blood progesterone concentrations for an appropriate period of time with a single injection is an easy and economical way to induce and synchronize estrus in ewe.

Keywords: blood progesterone concentration, ewe, non-breeding season, progesterone, reproduction, sheep, slow-release.

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