Late pregnancy ewe feeding and lamb performance in early life. 1. Pregnancy feeding levels and perinatal lamb mortality

1979 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 393-399 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. M. Khalaf ◽  
D. L. Doxey ◽  
J. T. Baxter ◽  
W. J. M. Black ◽  
J. FitzSimons ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mortality Rate ◽  
Litter Size ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Metabolizable Energy ◽  
Daily Weight Gain ◽  
Early Lactation ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Metabolizable Energy Intake ◽  
Immunoglobulin Levels

ABSTRACTOne hundred and thirty-nine Scottish Half bred ewes were studied during the last 8 weeks of pregnancy, through parturition and early lactation. They were divided, on the basis of their metabolizable energy intake during this period, into low (483 MJ/ewe; L), medium (742 MJ/ewe; M) or high (974 MJ/ewe; H) feeding groups.Ewe weight change (from mating to 12 h post lambing) was directly related to nutritional level and the number of lambs born, e.g. L ewes with triplets lost a mean 13·8 kg, while H ewes with single lambs gained 14·3 kg.Lamb birth weight and perinatal lamb mortality levels were affected by ewe nutrition and litter size. L twins weighed 19% less at birth than H twins; L triplets weighed 26% less than H triplets. The mortality rate of L twins was 23% greater than M twins; L triplets exceeded the H triplet mortality rate by 87%.Ewe energy feeding during late pregnancy affected the mean daily weight gain of lambs for at least 3 weeks after birth. H single, twin and triplet lambs grew 12%, 15% and 16% faster than M lambs and 19%, 31 % and 31 % faster than L lambs respectively.The H group produced 33 % more lamb live weight at 3 weeks of age for every lamb born than did the L group.Lamb serum immunoglobulin levels were related to litter size but did not reflect the differences in ewe feeding during late pregnancy.

Effects of plane of nutrition in late pregnancy on lamb birth weight and milk yield in early lactation of Chios and Awassi sheep

1974 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 341-349 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Louca ◽  
A. Mavrogenis ◽  
M. J. Lawlor
Keyword(s):  
Milk Yield ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
The Body ◽  
Metabolizable Energy ◽  
Early Lactation ◽  
Awassi Sheep ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Commercial Milk ◽  
Metabolizable Energy Intake

SUMMARYTwo trials were conducted using two breeds of sheep varying in prolificacy but producing high commercial milk yields. In the first, 85 Chios ewes were assigned at 10 weeks before lambing to one of three planes of feeding: L, straw ad libitum; M, straw ad libitum + 0·5 kg concentrates; and H, straw ad libitum +1·0 kg concentrates. Six weeks prior to lambing, treatment L was stopped and all 85 ewes were re-randomized to treatments M and H. They were kept on these treatments until 14 days after lambing. In the second trial, 54 Chios and 56 Awassi ewes were allocated to the M and H treatments 6 weeks prior to lambing. After lambing they were fed ad libitum on straw and concentrates for 28 days.The mean metabolizable energy intake (Meal/day) over the 6-week period before lambing was 2·78 and 3·96 for Chios ewes in Trial 1, 2·39 and 3·51 for Chios ewes in Trial 2 and 2·66 and 3·72 for Awassi ewes in Trial 2, for the M and H treatments respectively.In both trials the treatment of the ewes affected the birth v/eight of twin and triplet lambs but not that of singles. In Trial 1, the differences in 14-day milk yield between treatments M and H were highly significant. In Trial 2, however, in which the ewes were fed ad libitum during lactation, no differences in the 14-day or the 28-day milk yields were observed for either breed. It is concluded that milk yields in early lactation are closely related to actual plane of nutrition in lactation but may also be affected by the body condition of the ewe at lambing, which may in turn be influenced by a low level of feeding in pregnancy.

Studies on reproduction in prolific ewes

1977 ◽  
Vol 88 (3) ◽  
pp. 539-552 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. J. Robinson ◽  
I. McDonald ◽  
C. Fraser ◽  
R. M. J. Crofts
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Litter Size ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Metabolizable Energy ◽  
Daily Weight Gain ◽  
Energy Concentration ◽  
Gravid Uterus ◽  
Standard Diet ◽  
Gompertz Equation ◽  
The Mean

SUMMARYSeventy-nine Finnish Landrace x Dorset Horn ewes in lamb to Suffolk rams were used in a comparative slaughter experiment to assess the effects of numbers of foetuses on the growth of the products of conception. The mean number of foetuses was 2·7, with a range from 1 to 5. The ewes were individually penned and given a standard diet with metabolizable energy concentration 7·7 MJ/kg and N concentration 21 g/kg, rationed at 2 kg/day during the first month and 1·25 kg/day during the second and third. Allowances beyond that time were on two scales and depended on the number of foetuses being carried as diagnosed by radiography. The ewes were slaughtered between 50 and 145 days of gestation. The gravid uterus was dissected into foetal, placental, foetal fluid and empty uterus components. Equations were fitted to the weights of each component to describe the effects of stage of gestation, litter size and ewe weight. For the mean weight per foetus (Y, kg) the preferred equation isIn (Y)= 2·419–17·574e-0.01976t–00079ft+0–0046w,where tis the time in days from conception, / is the number of foetuses and wis the weight (kg) of the ewe at mating. This is a version of the Gompertz equation, with additional terms to express the effects of / and w.The weights of the placenta and of the empty uterus were similarly fitted by versions of the Gompertz equation but the mean weight of fluids per foetus (Z, kg) or, rather, its natural logarithm was best described by a third degree polynomial, which isIn(Z) = –11·518 + 0–326t;–0·00316t2+0·0000102t3.None of the weights was significantly affected by the level of feeding in late pregnancy.Estimates of mean weights from the equations and of daily rates of gain in weight from the first differentials of the equations are tabulated against stage of gestation and litter size, and the forms of the weight, growth rate and specific growth-rate curves are illustrated graphically.The equation for foetal weight estimates that at the end of pregnancy the mean weight per foetus is reduced by a factor of 0–89 for each additional foetus being carried. The mathematical model implies that the differences originate in early pregnancy, when the factor is very close to unity, and that the mean weights gradually diverge. In the absence of direct evidence this would appear to be the simplest hypothesis, rather than the assumption in most of the earlier literature that the effect is entirely confined to the last 4 or 5 weeks of gestation.Just before parturition the total daily weight gain of quadruplet foetuses was about 250 g and was associated with a similar gain in weight of foetal fluids, the ratio of fluid weight to foetal weight appearing to increase with litter size. The ewes were clearly under considerable physical stress. It is suggested that this aspect must be closely considered when greater prolificacy is sought.

Milk-fed calves: 5. The effect of a change in milk intake upon the herbage intake and performance of grazing calves

1979 ◽  
Vol 92 (2) ◽  
pp. 443-447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. L. P. Le Du ◽  
R. D. Baker
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Metabolizable Energy ◽  
Daily Weight Gain ◽  
Herbage Intake ◽  
Milk Substitute ◽  
Metabolizable Energy Intake ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Reconstituted Milk

SummaryThe effect of the amount of milk consumed upon the herbage intake and performance of calves at pasture, following a standard rearing period, was investigated using 50 Hereford × Friesian calves purchased at 10–12 days ofage. All calves were offered 6 kg reconstituted milk substitute for a 58 day period indoors and for a subsequent 31 days at pasture. Ten calves were then allocated to each of five milk treatments (0, 2, 4, 6, 10 kg/day) and grazed for a further 63 days. The calves were offered a daily herbage allowance of 60 g dry matter/kg live weight.Daily weight gain was increased by 59 g for each additional kilogramme of reconstituted milk consumed, and herbage intake per unit live weight decreased by 1–24 g/g milk organic matter consumed, equivalent to a reduction in metabolizable energy intake of 9 kJ. Clear effects of both age and diet upon the consumption of herbage were demonstrated. An explanation of the mechanisms governing intake of herbage in milk–fed calves is offered.

A study of the effect of supplementing a concentrate diet with roughages of different quality on the performance of Friesian steers. I. Voluntary food intake and food utilization

1970 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. 327-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. A. McCullough
Keyword(s):  
Dry Matter ◽  
Nitrogen Retention ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Metabolizable Energy ◽  
Food Utilization ◽  
Stages Of Growth ◽  
Gross Energy ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Metabolizable Energy Intake

SUMMARYConcentrate diets supplemented with 5, 20 and 40% of a high- and a low-quality hay were given ad libitum to British Friesian steers from 9 weeks of age to slaughter. The intake of dry matter and metabolizable energy was studied over weight ranges from 91 to 363 kg live weight. The quality of hay did not significantly affect the drymatter intake at any of the weight ranges studied. From 91 to 182 kg live weight the daily dry-matter intake decreased as the proportion of hay in the diet increased. Over the weight range from 182 to 272 kg live weight, intake was maximum at the 20% level of hay supplementation, while from 272 to 363 kg live weight, intake increased with increasing levels of hay in the diet. The supplementation of high-quality hay significantly increased the intake of metabolizable energy by animals weighing 91–182 kg. Increasing proportions of hay in the diet significantly affected the metabolizable energy intake at all stages of growth studied.At 18 and 36 weeks of age digestibility and N balance studies were carried out. The metabolizable energy expressed as a percentage of the gross energy and the mean retention time of the diets were significantly affected by the age of animal, quality of the hay and the level of hay supplementation. Nitrogen retention was also affected by the age of the animal but not by the quality of the hay.The relationships between the voluntary intake of dry matter and the metabolizable energy of the diet expressed as a percentage of the gross energy, for different stages of growth, are also presented.The change in the digestibility and the mean time of retention of the diets in the digestive tract with age and the effect of this on the point where physical regulation to intake gives way to physiological regulation are discussed.

Studies on reproduction in prolific ewes

1987 ◽  
Vol 108 (2) ◽  
pp. 311-319 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. S. Dingwall ◽  
J. J. Robinson ◽  
R. P. Aitken ◽  
C. Fraser
Keyword(s):  
Daily Intake ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Mean Value ◽  
Metabolizable Energy ◽  
Placental Weight ◽  
Embryo Survival ◽  
Foetal Growth ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Embryonic Death

SummaryIn Expt 1, 34 individually-penned Finn Dorset ewes of mean live weight 68 kg were synchronized in oestrus and mated to Suffolk rams. From mating until day 28 of pregnancy each received daily 15 MJ of metabolizable energy (ME) and 225 g crude protein (CP). From day 28 to slaughter on days 34, 41, 48 or 55 half of the ewes continued on this feeding regime and half had their daily intake reduced abruptly to 7·5 MJ of ME and 112 g CP. The mean number of ovulations per ewe was 4·03 (range 2–8) and the mean number of viable foetuses at time of slaughter 3·35 (range 2–6). The combined loss of ova (fertilization failure and early embryonic death) was 14·6% and detectable foetal deaths 2·2%. Level of feeding had no significant effect on these measures or on foetal growth. Foetal growth from 34 to 55 days was described by the equationIn w = 0·962–18·613 e-0·0272t–0·00091t(f–3),where w = foetal weight (kg), t = age (days) and f = litter size. Within-litter variability measured as the S.D. of In w (kg) was 0–081 for twins, 0·108 for triplets and 0·106 for quadruplets and higher multiples.In a second experiment Suffolk × Finn Dorset embryos were transplanted at the rate of two per uterine horn into 15 recipient Finn Dorset ewes. Embryo survival was 72% and foetal weights at 60 days varied from 67 to 146% of the mean value of 66 g. Withinlitter variation in foetal size was only about 70% of that expected for foetuses developing from the variable distribution in their initial positioning that occurs naturally. The correlation between foetal weight and placental weight at day 60 was 0·72 (P < 0001) indicating that the association between foetal weight and placental weight in prolific ewes is not confined to late pregnancy.The results of both experiments are consistent with the hypothesis that the greater within-litter variability in birth weight in large litters is controlled by events in early pregnancy.

The intake of silage and grazed herbage by Masham ewes with single or twin lambs and its repeatability during pregnancy, lactation and after weaning

1981 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 121-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. E. Newton ◽  
R. J. Orr
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Weight Gain ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Metabolizable Energy ◽  
Early Lactation ◽  
Live Weight Gain ◽  
Coefficient Of Concordance ◽  
In Pregnancy

ABSTRACTThe intake of silage, concentrates and grazed herbage, and the performance of 16 Masham ewes carrying and suckling either single or twin lambs, was measured during the last 7 weeks of pregnancy, during lactation and after weaning.There was no difference in intake between ewes with singles or twins in pregnancy, lactation or after weaning. The metabolizable energy intakes, from silage and concentrates, of the ewes with singles and twins were 101 and 100 MJ per head per day in weeks 7 and 6 pre partum, 21·4 and 19·9 MJ in weeks 3 and 2 pre partum, and 24·4 and 23·8MJ in the 1st week of lactation. The intakes from grass and concentrates were 32·3 and 338MJ in weeks 5 and 6 of lactation for the ewes with singles and twins respectively, and 13·8 and 15 2M J from grass alone after weaning. There was no effect of ewe live weight on intake and, although the ewes with singles were producing less milk than those with twins, their intakes were similar.The same ewes consistently ate the most feed. The overall coefficient of concordance was 05 6 and the coefficients for mid- and late-pregnancy, late pregnancy and early lactation, and early- and mid-lactation were 0·57, 0·62 and 0·66 respectively. The ewes with twins that consistently ate the most lost less weight in pregnancy, produced similar litter weights and suckled lambs that grew faster. Their levels of intake and production were high: the growth rate from 0 to 6 weeks of age of the twin lambs suckling the large-eaters was 721 g/day compared with 631 g/day for those suckling the small-eaters. During lactation the ewes with singles appeared t o consume more metabolizable energy than their maintenance, milk yield and live-weight gain requirements justified, whereas the group of smaller-eating ewes with twins put on more weight than expected from their intakes.

Studies on reproduction in prolific ewes. 4. Sequential changes in the maternal body during pregnancy

1978 ◽  
Vol 91 (2) ◽  
pp. 291-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. J. Robinson ◽  
I. McDonald ◽  
I. McHattie ◽  
K. Pennie
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Litter Size ◽  
Body Fat ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Metabolizable Energy ◽  
Practical Significance ◽  
Maternal Body ◽  
Body Protein ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Gastro Intestinal Tract

SUMMARYSeventy-eight Finnish Landrace × Dorset Horn ewes in lamb to Suffolk rams were slaughtered serially between 50 and 145 days of gestation. The mean litter size was 2·7. The daily feeding regime aimed to provide each ewe with 15 MJ of metabolizable energy (ME) in the first month of gestation and 9·4 MJ in the second and third. Thereafter the ewes were provided with a basal intake of either 9·6 MJ (low plane, LP) or 13·4 MJ (high plane, HP) plus 1·3 MJ for each foetus.For ewes with 2, 3 and 4 foetuses the mean percentage changes in maternal body weight over pregnancy were respectively — 5, — 10 and — 14 (LP) or + 3, — 2 and — 6 (HP). Changes in weights of blood, liver and the empty gastro-intestinal tract through gestation varied with the plane of nutrition but not with number of foetuses. In contrast, udder weight at parturition was dependent on number of foetuses but not on plane of nutrition.Increased hydration of the maternal tissues in late pregnancy tended to mask concurrent losses of body fat. For example, over the last 2 months, HP ewes carrying quadruplets lost on average 1·0 kg in body weight but 5·5 kg of (chemically determined) fat. The latter was lost at a rate which increased up to an average of 170 g/day over the last 2 weeks of pregnancy. Net changes in body protein were estimated to be relatively small, but there was some redistribution, including loss from muscle and gain by the udder. There was no evidence of any demineralization of the maternal skeleton.The practical significance of the changes in body composition is discussed, in particular that of the increasing rates of loss of body fat with increasing litter size. It is suggested that the dangers implicit in these rates of fat loss must be taken into consideration when deciding on dietary regimes and the timing of breeding cycles for highly prolific ewes, or indeed when embarking on a programme of increased prolificacy.

The influence of live weight and body condition on the subsequent milk production of Blackface ewes following a period of undernourishment in early lactation

1970 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
pp. 459-469 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. N. Peart
Keyword(s):  
Milk Production ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Nutrient Intake ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Extended Period ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Restricted Feeding ◽  
Early Lactation ◽  
Stage Of Lactation ◽  
The Mean

SUMMARYIn each of two years, 36 Blackface ewes were brought to a high state of body condition at mating and in early gostation. At approximately 16 weeks prepartum the ewes were divided into two similar groups and fed to maintain the live weight and body condition of one group (fat), and to decrease that of the other group (lean). At 8 weeks prepartum mean differences of 14kg live weight and two scores of body condition had been created between the groups. During the last 6 weeks of pregnancy food was rationed to all ewes per unit of live weight to provide the theoretical requirements of Blackface ewes in late pregnancy. Both groups of ewes made similar live-weight gains in late pregnancy and blood plasma F.F.A. values confirmed that the ewes had been similarly nourished regardless of live weight or body condition. During early lactation food was restricted to fat and lean groups of ewes for either a 2- or 4- week period followed by ad lib. feeding for the remainder of lactation. A lamb-suckling technique was used to measure milk production during a 10-week lactation. During the first and second weeks of lactation the mean milk production of groups of both fat and lean ewes was approximately 2·1 and 1·3 kg/day for twin- and single-suckled ewes respectively. Ad lib. feeding following restricted feeding during the first 2 weeks of lactation resulted in increased milk production of fat and of lean ewes to mean maximum values of approximately 2·7 and 1·7 kg/day for twin- and single-suckled ewes respectively. In contrast, groups of ewes which had restricted feeding for the first 4 weeks of lactation showed almost no increase in milk production when fed ad lib. During the extended period of restricted feeding the milk production of twin-suckled ewes which were fat at parturition was significantly greater than that of twin-suckled lean ewes but there was no difference with singlesuckled ewes. All groups of ewes lost similar amounts of live weight and body condition during their respective periods of restricted feeding. In the respective 6-week periods following ad lib. feeding the live-weight gain of the lean ewes was significantly greater than that of the fat ewes (339 v. 222 and 356 v. 250 g/day for twin- and single-suckled ewes respectively), but they did not attain parity of live weight by the end of lactation. When fed ad lib. the mean intake of all groups of ewes attained similar maximum values of approximately 2·2 kg D.O.M./day. The results indicate that the stage of lactation is an overriding factor governing the response to increased nutrition and that body condition of ewes at parturition acts as a buffer between nutrient intake and nutrient requirements for lactation. It is suggested that when body reserves of ewes are severely depleted, factors other than nutrient intake may become limiting to milk production.

scholarly journals Mammary Gland Structures Are Not Affected by an Increased Growth Rate of Yearling Ewes Post-Weaning but Are Associated with Growth Rates of Singletons

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 884
Author(s):  
Emmanuelle Haslin ◽  
Rene A. Corner-Thomas ◽  
Paul R. Kenyon ◽  
Adrian J. Molenaar ◽  
Stephen T. Morris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Mammary Gland ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Early Lactation ◽  
Fat Pad ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Lamb Growth ◽  
Heavy Group

The experiment aimed to examine the impacts of an increased growth rate of ewes between three and seven months of age on udder development using ultrasound and to establish whether ultrasonography could be used to identify ewe mammary structures that may be indirect indicators of singleton growth to weaning. Udder dimensions, depths of gland cistern (GC), parenchyma (PAR) and fat pad (FP) were measured in late pregnancy (P107), early lactation (L29), and at weaning (L100) in 59 single-bearing yearling ewes selected from two treatments. The ‘heavy’ group (n = 31) was preferentially fed prior to breeding achieving an average breeding live-weight of 47.9 ± 0.38 kg at seven months of age. The ‘control’ group (n = 28) had an average breeding live-weight of 44.9 ± 0.49 kg. Udder dimensions, GC, PAR and FP did not differ between treatments. Lamb growth to L100 was positively associated (p < 0.05) with PAR at P107 and GC at L29. There was no evidence of negative effects of the live-weight gain treatments on udder development of yearling ewes as measured by ultrasonography. The results suggest that this ultrasound method has the potential to identify pregnant yearling ewes which would wean heavier singletons.

Effect of fish meal on the mobilization of body energy in dairy cows

1987 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 345-348 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. R. Ørskov ◽  
G. W. Reid ◽  
C. A. G. Tait
Keyword(s):  
Fish Meal ◽  
Energy Requirement ◽  
Metabolizable Energy ◽  
Early Lactation ◽  
Protein Supplements ◽  
Treatment Groups ◽  
Fat Mobilization ◽  
Four Levels ◽  
Metabolizable Energy Intake ◽  
Body Energy

ABSTRACTThirty-two Friesian cows in early lactation were divided into four treatment groups to receive ad libitum a mixed diet consisting of silage (0·70) and grain-based concentrate (0·30). Fish meal was subsequently mixed into the diet at levels of 0, 40, 80 and 120 g/kg to provide crude protein concentration (g/kg dry matter) in the complete diets of 156, 181, 200 and 212 respectively. In the 2nd week after calving the yields of fat-corrected milk (FCM) were 28·5, 29·2, 32·0 and 34·9 kg/day for the four levels respectively; at this time, food intake was sufficient only to meet the calculated energy requirement for 15 kg FCM per day. Due to recurring problems with ketosis on the diet containing 120 g fish meal per kg, this treatment was terminated and the experiment continued for 15 weeks with the groups receiving 0, 40 and 80 g/kg fish meal supplements. During this time average yields of FCM were 23·5, 25·6 and 28-0 kg FCM per day respectively and energy intakes were calculated to be sufficient to meet the requirement for 18 kg FCM per day.It appeared possible to increase milk yield by stimulating fat mobilization through giving undegraded protein supplements to underfed cows in early lactation. However, when an excessive mobilization occurred with a high supplement, and when the animals were yielding 15 to 20 kg FCM more than their metabolizable energy intake was calculated to sustain, some cows became ketotic.

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