Effects of FSH and the weather during induced ovulation and timed artificial insemination to increase jenny conception rates

Experiments were conducted to improve jenny conception rates through induced ovulation and timed insemination. Jennies in control, hCG and LH groups were injected intramuscularly with saline alone or saline containing hCG or LH, respectively, when the dominant follicle diameter reached 35 mm. Then, follicle development was checked every 8 h until the dominant follicle ovulated. While 76% of the hCG-treated jennies ovulated between 24 and 48 h, and 84% of the LH-treated ovulated between 24 and 40 h after injection, ovulations in control jennies scattered over an extended period after injection. Conception rates after insemination were significantly higher in LH- or hCG-treated jennies than in the conventionally-bred jennies. The LH preparation used in this study contained more FSH than the hCG preparation did, and supplementing the hCG treatment with FSH significantly improved ovulation synchronization. Ovulations in jennies treated on rainy days were significantly postponed and less synchronized compared to those in jennies treated on sunny days. Together, the results suggested that jenny conception could be significantly improved by inducing ovulation with LH or hCG treatment followed by timed insemination and that FSH and the weather during treatment had profound effects on ovulation induction of jennies.