IMPROVEMENT OF REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCES WITH A COMBINED APPROACH (SEMENTUSA®) IN VALLE DEL BELICE/ COMISANA SHEEP IN SICILY

Dairy sheep farming in Sicily has a good productive potential although slowed by a poor and traditional breeding system. In this study a combined approach (welfare, feeding, parasite), including a new reproductive management (Sementusa®), based on rational use of ultrasound (4 checks starting from May to November after the mating period) and synchronization methods (fluorogestone acetate / equine chorionic gonadotropin in May or September) was carried out in a nucleus of 5 flocks with a total of 3,945 animals. This approach produced an average increase of fertility of 14% (compared to the previous year) allowing an extra income (milk and meat) for the farmers of about 100,000 euros, without considering the effects on the lambing curve. The improvement of sheep farm management could be a great opportunity for poor countries, allowing a considerable increase of profits with few investments.