THE DEVELOPMENT OF COW EGGS IN THE RABBIT OVIDUCT AND THEIR VIABILITY AFTER RE-TRANSFER TO HEIFERS

Abstract

Sheep eggs continue to cleave and retain their viability following transfer to the rabbit oviduct irrespective of the endocrine status of the recipient (Averill, Adams & Rowson, 1955; Hunter, Bishop, Adams & Rowson, 1962; Adams, Moor & Rowson, 1968). In the case of cow eggs, Hafez & Sugie (1963) concluded that the environment provided in the genital tract of the pseudopregnant rabbit was unsuitable to support their development. Subsequently, however, Adams et al. (1968) found that a high proportion of cow morulae could develop into blastocysts in the oviducts of follicular-phase rabbits whilst Sreenan, Scanlon & Gordon (1968) reported that about half of the transferred eggs underwent some development in pseudopregnant rabbits. In none of these studies, however, was the viability of cow eggs tested by retransferring them from the