Research Article

Progesterone profile in the sexual cycle of female American mink (Neovison vison)

Małgorzata Dziadosz-Styś, Beata Seremak, Lidia Felska-Błaszczyk, Bogdan Lasota

West Pomeranian University of Technology, Szczecin, Poland

1. Acta Sci. Pol. Zootechnica, 14(2), 2015, 85‒92

Abstract. The aim of this study was to analyze the blood serum levels of progesterone in American mink females in the course of the annual sexual cycle. In order to determine the concentration profile of progesterone in year-old females of two color varieties, Pearl (P) and Standard Black, short NAP (BV), blood was collected from a representative group of 16 randomly selected females. The frequency of blood sampling was variable depending on the phase of the cycle of the studied females. Blood was collected once a month from late May to September (early anestrus), every 14 days from October to December (late anestrus) and in January and February (gonadal preparation and re-activation period). Analysis of the blood serum concentrations of progesterone in female mink indicates a clear downward trend from May to October followed by lowest values ​​remaining until late February.

Keywords: American mink, progesterone, sexual cycle