Goat placental efficiency determination by comparing litter weight to the surface area of the cotyledons
Ocak, SOgun, SGunduz, ZOnder, H
The relationship between placental componentweights and litter related factors was investigated in 81 Damascus goats. The aim was to extensively compare cotyledonary traits to ascertain the main influencial factors in placental efficiency (PE). Every cotyledon in the placenta was measured for surface area, weight and depth in order to link any possible correlations to birth weight (BW), birth type (BT) and sex. Twins, especially the mixed gender ones, were shown to have far more efficient placentas than singletons. A new efficiency parameter, cotyledon efficiency (CE) was used to measure the effectiveness of the cotyledons to further understand PE. A Newly adopted method was used to measure the individual and total surface area of all the cotyledons on the placenta of each animal, rather thanjust determining the total number and weight of the cotyledons. Where in earlier studies it was thought that cotyledon number was the main factor affecting litter weight (LW) and consequently kid survivability, this study showed that the size of the cotyledons and their surface area interrelationships were a feature with far more influence in the placental exchange, producing heavier and healthier offspring. Birth type significantly affected (P < 0.001) BW, LW, placental weight (PW), and total cotyledon surface area (TCSA). High positive correlation (r = 0.75) was observed between CE and PE. This association was affected by BT, where the correlation remained high for twins (r = 0.829) and poor (r = 0.470) for singles. A strong negative correlation (r = -0.79) was seen between CE and TCSA.(AU)
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