THE EFFECTS OF SUBNUTRITION BEFORE OR AFTER EMBRYO-TRANSFER ON PREGNANCY RATE AND EMBRYO SURVIVAL IN DOES

Twelve mature Angora does were superovulated with pFSH and used as don ors of embryos to 3 groups of recipients of the same breed. Group A re cipients received rations providing 0.25 maintenance for 5 weeks befor e embryo transfer, and full maintenance rations for 60 days thereafter . Group B received full maintenance rations before embryo transfer and 0.25 maintenance thereafter, while Group C received full maintenance ration both before and after embryo transfer. All the recipient does w ere slaughtered at 60 days after embryo transfer, and the number of fe tuses was counted. There were fewer live fetuses in Group B than in Gr oup C (P<0.005). There was a tendency for does in Group A to have fewe r fetuses than does in Group C and for does in Group B to have fewer f etuses than those in Group A (P<0.1). The data suggested that recipien t undernutrition may adversely affect pregnancy rates and the survival of transferred embryos in the doe.