DOI: 10.46897/livestockstudies.1949174 ISSN: 2717-8331

Investigation of Some Reproductive Characteristic in Kangal Shepherd Dogs Raised at the Sheep Breeding Research Institute

Dilek Öğdüm, Muhammed Atakan Buz, Seyrani Koncagül
Show PDF Cite
This study aimed to determine the main reproductive parameters of Kangal shepherd Dogs, including estrus cycle characteristics, mating behavior, copulation duration, gestation length, and survival rate from birth to weaning. The research was conducted at the shepherd Dog Protection, Production, Training and Breeding Unit of the Sheep Breeding Research Institute using 16 female Kangal Shepherd Dogs born in 2023. Estrus monitoring was initiated with the observation of the first proestrus bleeding. The mean age at first estrus was determined to be 358.6 ± 12.9 days. The average interval between the first and second estrus cycles was calculated as 199.69 ± 6.64 days. The estrus cycle length was found to be longer in females that gave birth (271.29 ± 9.33 days) compared with those that did not give birth (216.86 ± 8.01 days). Following estrus detection, a total of 39 mating attempts were performed, of which 30 were successful, resulting in a mating acceptance rate of 76.92%. The average copulation duration in successful matings was recorded as 16.03 ± 0.9 minutes. The mean gestation period, calculated from the last mating date, was found to be 61.83 ± 0.79 days. From the 12 recorded births, a total of 105 puppies were obtained, of which 96.33% were live births and 3.67% were stillbirths. The survival rate of the puppies was 89.52% at first day, 83.81 at day 7, 81.90 at day 15, 80.95% at day 30, 78.95% at day 60 (weaning). The findings indicate that estrus detection based on observation can provide successful reproductive outcomes in Kangal Shepherd Dogs.

More from our Archive