Ultrasonographic study of ovarian activities in the tropical jenny during the seasons of high and low sexual activity

The ovarian activities of 7 jennies were studied by serial ultrasonography during seasons of higher and lower sexual activity to determine if follicular development also corresponds to this pattern. The current study showed a seasonal pattern of ovarian activities related to the local environmental factors associated with each season rather than photoperiod, which is the widely known environmental cue determining seasonality in most equines. Jennies produced large numbers of follicles (11.3 follicles) during the long rainy season, compared with the 7.3 and 9.6 follicles during the dry and short rainy seasons, respectively. However, production of larger preovulatory follicles (37.8 ± 1.7 mm vs 31.0 ± 2.7 mm of the dry and 33.2 ± 2.7 mm of the long rainy seasons) and higher incidence of ovulation (77.8%) occurred during the short rainy season. Jennies had shorter interovulatory intervals during the season of higher (short rainy) than the season of lower (dry season) sexual activity. The short rain transition is characterized by higher follicular activity compared with the long rainy transition, indicating the presence of additional factors stimulating ovarian activity other than the mere availability of forage during the short rainy season.