Studies on Reproduction in the Goat: III. The Functional Activity of the Ovaries of the Goat

1. A study of the functional activity in the ovaries was undertaken on 366 organs from pregnant goats and 171 organs from nonpregnant goats. The ovulations were recorded by the presence of corpora lutea in the ovaries.
2. The right ovary appears to be the most active in the goat, since 57 % of the ovulations occurred in the right ovary. In cases of multiple ovulations there appears to be a greater tendency for the first of these ovulations to occur in the right ovary (62.34 %).
3. In almost 50 % of twin pregnancies both ova will be shed from the same ovary.
4. In six cases, five twin pregnancies and one triplet pregnancy, only one, respectively two corpora lutea were found. This can in all probability be taken as an indication of the occurrence of identical twins.
5. The incidence of “ovum loss” or early embryonic mortality was found to be 19.6 %.