How Can Your Sheep Production Benefit from a Melatonin Program?
Maintaining your sheep’s melatonin level during the months with fewer daylight hours supports better wool growth, wool quality, and more robust reproduction.
The administration of melatonin by continuous release from implants assists in sheep production throughout the year.
Effects of Melatonin on Sheep’s Wool Growth and Quality
A study on the effects of melatonin on wool growth and quality appears in the 2007 edition of the Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research. The study is titled, “The effects of exogenous melatonin on wool quality and thyroid function in Rasa Aragonesa ewes.”
It concluded that the administration of melatonin, beginning in the spring, “positively affected medium and long-term measures of wool quality.” Positive measures in the study included fiber diameter and length of wool growth.
Sheep ranchers and farmers in online groups and on message boards have attested to the use of melatonin in promoting a healthy, thick wool coat. Some report that the coat grows thicker on the lamb’s body and legs. Others comment that in preparing sheep for show, the length of the wool growth allowed for enough trimming to leave the coat thick and full while eliminating the appearance of noticeable imperfections.
Melatonin Implants Help with Reproduction in Sheep
Research shows many positive effects of melatonin implants in the reproduction process of sheep. Below are three examples of such studies and findings.
The first study appears in the 1993 edition of Animal Reproduction Science Journal titled, “Melatonin and seasonality in sheep….” The study specifically addressed the subject of sheep reproduction.
The study concluded that the administration of melatonin via continuous release implants significantly advanced the breeding season. Melatonin appeared to enhance ovulation rate and embryo survival, but only after a delay of approximately 60 days.
Trials showed that melatonin implants induced estrus in ewes approximately four months before the regular autumn breeding season. The pregnancy rate increased, demonstrating that melatonin implants can be used effectively in out-of-season breeding programs.
A second study with positive findings appeared in the Polish Journal of Veterinary Sciences (Vol. 20, No. 3, 2017) titled, “Effects of melatonin implantation on the fertility potentials of Kivircik and Charollais ewes and rams during the non-breeding season.”
This study found that melatonin implants can be applied to induce estrus in ewes approximately four months earlier than the breeding season. It also found that melatonin implantation in the non-breeding season significantly increased testicular dimensions in Kivircik and Charollais rams thus increasing their reproductive potential.
A third study appeared in the 2017 edition of Animal Reproduction Science Journal titled, “Melatonin treatment in winter and spring and reproductive recovery in Sarda breed sheep.”
It concluded that melatonin treatment improved reproductive efficiency and further advanced the breeding season in Sarda sheep, especially when treating ewes in the spring.
Spring is Best for Starting Sheep on Melatonin
Is it time for you to start your sheep on a melatonin program? If so, we heartily recommend MELAWIN Melatonin Implants. Our implants can release a precise, measured melatonin dosage over a specific period. Implants eliminate the need for daily administration, the expense associated with sheep failing to ingest a sufficient amount through feed supplements, and minimizing the risks of missed doses with oral versions.
Contact us today
To learn more about MELAWIN Melatonin Implants, contact us today. Our implants contain a precise dosage of 100% pharmaceutical grade melatonin (N-Acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine), unsurpassed in quality, and we ship to our U.S. customers free of charge.