Abstract
During the last two days we have heard an excellent series of papers which confirm that embryonic mortality remains a serious problem so far as efficient animal production is concerned. Clearly the problem is a complex one involving physiological, endocrinological, genetic and immunological components, and it is frequently difficult to identify which one or more of these possible causes is most relevant in modern farming practice. The question of whether embryonic mortality is greater in conditions of intensification and high productivity remains controversial and during the course of the seminar few speakers directed attention exclusively to this point. It is important to recall, however, that pioneer studies of Brambell in the 1940fs showed a high incidence of preimplantation loss (up to 13%) in wild rabbits in certain areas, with a total loss of up to 43% so the problem is not simply one of domestication. During the course of this seminar, several speakers expressed concern that after a period of about 50 years during which much has been written and documented about the prevalence of early embryo losses in farm animalsf little can be said about recommended therapy apart from prophylactic measures designed to ameliorate the effects of high ambient temperature and to avoid stressful stimuli during early gestation.
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© 1986 ECSC, EEC, EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg
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Heap, R.B. (1986). General Conclusions and Outlook. In: Sreenan, J.M., Diskin, M.G. (eds) Embryonic Mortality in Farm Animals. Current Topics in Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, vol 34. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5038-2_24
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5038-2_24
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
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