The effect of ammonia treatment on the intake of straw and hay when offered with rations of concentrates to ewes in late pregnancy

1985 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Orr ◽  
T. T. Treacher ◽  
V. C. Mason
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Body Condition Score ◽  
Spring Barley ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Barley Straw ◽  
Ammonia Treatment ◽  
Condition Score ◽  
Forage Intake

ABSTRACTFinnish Landrace × Dorset Horn ewes were offered 300, 600 or 900 g fresh weight per day of concentrates and forage ad libitum from day 105 of pregnancy until lambing. Spring barley straw (S) or hay (H) was offered either untreated (U) or following treatment with anhydrous ammonia in an oven (T). Organic matter digestibilities (in vitro) were 0·42, 0·58, 0·42 and 0·60 and nitrogen contents were 7·2, 18·6, 12·0 and 25·0 g/kg dry matter for US, TS, UH and TH respectively. Forage intake did not differ between ewes carrying two or more foetuses but the small number of ewes carrying one foetus ate more straw (6·8 v. 4·5 g organic matter (OM) per kg live weight) than ewes carrying two or more foetuses. Ammonia treatment increased intake; the increase was larger on straw (4·6 v. 100 g OM per kg live weight) than on hay (9·0 v. 10·7 g OM per kg live weight). Replacement rates of forage by concentrates were -0·21, +0·06, -0·48 and +0·08 kg forage per kg concentrates for treatments US, TS, UH and TH respectively; only the value for treatment UH differed significantly from zero. On most treatments forage intake decreased as pregnancy progressed and the declines were greater when treated forages were offered. Concentrate level had a large effect on most aspects of ewe performance. Ewes offered treated forage gained slightly more weight in pregnancy (138 v. 104 g/day), had a slightly smaller decrease in body condition score (-0·54 v. -0·68) between day 105 and lambing but did not have greater lamb birth weights than ewes on untreated forage.

The performance of ewes offered diets containing different proportions of perennial ryegrass and white clover silage in late pregnancy

1990 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 143-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Orr ◽  
T. T. Treacher
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Body Condition Score ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Condition Score ◽  
Forage Intake ◽  
In Pregnancy

ABSTRACTFinn Dorset ewes were offered forage ad libitum from week 16 of pregnancy until lambing and were either unsupplemented (U) or given 600 g/day of concentrates (S). Grass silage and white clover silage, ensiled separately and having similar dry matter concentrations, were offered in four mixtures with white clover proportions of 0, 0·20, 0·40 and 0·60 on a fresh basis. Forage intake was significantly higher for mixtures containing higher proportions of clover (9·1, 10·5, 12·3 and 13·6 g organic matter (OM) per kg live weight) and the ewes gained more weight (33, 65, 178 and 174 g/day) and had smaller losses in body condition score (–0·59, –0·49, –0·39 and –0·17). Higher proportions of clover in the diet in late pregnancy also resulted in significantly higher growth rates of lambs during lactation, when a common diet was offered.The number of foetuses carried in pregnancy had significant effects on intake and some aspects of performance. For ewes carrying singles, twins and multiples respectively, mean daily forage intakes were 12·2, 11·9 and 10·4 g OM per kg live weight and losses in body condition score were –0·05, –0·40 and –0·62.Offering the supplement reduced forage intake and for treatments U and S respectively, mean daily values were 12·6 and 10·2 g OM per kg live weight. Whilst the supplemented ewes had smaller losses in body condition score in late pregnancy (–0·54 v. –0·28), lamb birth weights and growth rates were significantly increased only for ewes which had carried three or more foetuses in pregnancy and reared their two heaviest lambs.

scholarly journals Effects on maternal and foetal traits of feeding supplement to grazing pregnant ewes

1998 ◽  
Vol 66 (3) ◽  
pp. 667-673 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Frutos ◽  
O. Buratovich ◽  
F. J. Giràldez ◽  
A. R. Mantecòn ◽  
I. A. Wright
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Body Condition Score ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Uterine Wall ◽  
Fat Reserves ◽  
Large Fluctuations ◽  
Condition Score ◽  
Fat Depot ◽  
Grass Growth

AbstractThirty single-bearing Merino ewes were used to examine the effect of feeding supplement, from 91 to 140 days of gestation, on changes in chemical composition of the ewes, on the relationships with live weight and body condition score and on the foetus. Ewes grazed a perennial ryegrass pasture and were offered either no supplement or 500 g per head per day of a concentrate supplement from days 30 to 90 and (or) from days 91 to 140 of pregnancy. Maternal carcass and non-carcass components, uterine wall, foetus and placenta plus cotyledons were chemically analysed. Live weight (LW) and body condition score (BCS) on day 140 were both affected by supplementation during late pregnancy, mobilization of protein and fat being lower in animals receiving supplement. BCS accounted for more variation than LW in the carcass fat depot. Because this depot was the most important source of energy from days 91 to 140 of gestation, this suggests that BCS is a useful estimator of mobilization of maternal fat reserves during this stage of pregnancy. The ability to mobilize reserves and protect foetal growth by Merino ewes in southern Europe, where large fluctuations in grass growth rate exposes them to considerable undernutrition as pregnancy proceeds, was confirmed in this experiment. However, when the nutritional regime is extreme, supplementary feeding to the ewes is recommended, in order to make the whole system economically profitable.

Effect of body condition and pasture type on herbage intake, performance during lactation and subsequent ovulation rate in Scottish Blackface ewes

1981 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 241-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Doney ◽  
R. G. Gunn ◽  
J. N. Peart ◽  
W. F. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Body Condition Score ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Ovulation Rate ◽  
Herbage Intake ◽  
Digestible Organic Matter ◽  
Condition Score ◽  
Daily Milk Yield ◽  
Daily Milk

ABSTRACTScottish Blackface ewes in uniform, good, body condition at mating were differentially fed during pregnancy, such that two groups lost 0·15 to 0·20 (groups A and B) and one group gained 0·05 (group C) of maternal live weight by lambing time. The treatments had little effect on the number of lambs born per ewe lambing (1·39, 1·46 and 148 respectively).Prior to parturition, group A was transferred to a poor hill pasture, and groups B and C to an improved upland reseeded pasture. Herbage intake by six single- and six twin-suckling ewes from each group was estimated in the 3rd, 6th and 8th week after parturition, and mean daily milk production was estimated on 1 day following each intake measurement period. Herbage intake by six dry ewes in each of groups A and B was also estimated.There were significant differences amongst groups A, B and C, respectively, in mean organic matter digestibility of the herbage consumed (0·701, 0·771 and 0·773), mean daily digestible organic-matter intake (1·06, 1·46 and 1·46kg), mean live-weight change over the period ( –2·9, +5·4 and +l·3kg) and mean daily milk yield (0·64, 1·93 and 1·95 kg).By the following mating time, after grazing the same pasture from weaning, there was still a difference in body condition score according to pasture type during lactation (2·08, 2·36 and 2·29, respectively). Ovulation rate measured after mating was consistent with the direct effect of body condition (1·34, 1·56 and 1·52, respectively).

The use of body condition scoring to ration beef cows in late pregnancy

1986 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 391-396 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. A. Wright ◽  
A. J. F. Russel ◽  
E. A. Hunter
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Body Condition Score ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Beef Cows ◽  
Metabolizable Energy ◽  
Flat Rate ◽  
Subsequent Performance ◽  
Condition Score ◽  
Score Gain

ABSTRACTForty-eight Hereford × Friesian and Blue Grey cows ranging in body condition score from 1·75 to 4·0, 12 weeks before calving, were fed to achieve three levels of body condition score at calving. Half the cows were fed on an increasing plane of nutrition as pregnancy advanced and half were fed on a flat-rate feeding system. The condition scores achieved by the three groups at calving were 2·28, 2·47 and 2·70 (s.e.d. 0·071; P < 0·001). Differences in cow body condition at calving were reflected in cow live weight and condition 6 weeks later, but there was no effect on calf performance. Hereford × Friesian cows lost more weight in early lactation, tended to produce more milk and their calves were heavier. Pattern of feeding had no effect on cow condition score or weight at calving or on subsequent performance.It was calculated that each unit of body condition-score loss in late pregnancy contributes the equivalent of 3200 MJ dietary metabolizable energy while 6600 MJ dietary metabolizable energy are required for 1 unit of condition-score gain.

The intake and performance of ewes offered concentrates and grass silage in late pregnancy

1983 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Orr ◽  
J. E. Newton ◽  
Caroline A. Jackson
Keyword(s):  
Dry Matter ◽  
Body Condition Score ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
First Year ◽  
Dry Matter Concentration ◽  
Condition Score ◽  
Voluntary Intake ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Matter Concentration

ABSTRACTMasham ewes carrying single, twin or triplet foetuses were offered a ration of concentrates which increased from 200 to 650 g per ewe per day over the last 7 weeks of pregnancy in 2 years. Silage was offered ad libitum and the voluntary intake of each ewe was measured. In the first year, 30 ewes were offered a poorly-preserved, wet silage (A) which had a low digestibility, followed by a better-preserved silage (B) which had a higher digestibility and dry-matter concentration. There was an increase in silage intake when the change was made from A to B. In the following year, 32 ewes were offered silage (C) which was well preserved, similar in digestibility to B but with a lower dry-matter concentration. The ewes ate more silage organic matter (g/kg live weight) with C than A (12·77 v. 9·34) in weeks 15 to 17 of pregnancy but more of B than C (13·76 v. 10·38) in weeks 19 to 20. Ewes carrying single lambs ate more silage and had a slower rate of decrease in silage intake when the concentrate ration was increased as pregnancy progressed. As litter size increased there-was either greater loss or smaller gain in body condition score.

Intakes of silages, hays and straws by ewes in mid pregnancy

1990 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 301-310 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Orr ◽  
T. T. Treacher
Keyword(s):  
Post Partum ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Residual Effects ◽  
Barley Straw ◽  
Ammonia Treatment ◽  
Fresh Weight ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Forage Intake ◽  
Ad Libitum

ABSTRACTIn three experiments, seven grass silages, four grass hays and winter barley straw, with and without anhydrous ammonia treatment, were offered ad libitum to a total of 134 Finn Dorset ewes in weeks 11 to 15 of pregnancy and intakes were measured. The untreated straw diet was supplemented with 300 g fresh weight of concentrates per ewe. Number of foetuses carried did not affect intakes in mid pregnancy. Organic matter digestibilities measured in vivo in week 15, ranged from 0·39 to 0·69 for hays and 0·53 to 0·79 for silages. Generally, between weeks 11 to 15 of pregnancy, hay intakes showed either little change or slight increases whereas intakes of silages or straws showed little change or slight decreases. Forage intake was higher on the better quality hays and silages and ewes gained weight and body condition, compared with losses for the poorer diets. In late pregnancy, the ewes were offered grass silage ad libitum and rations of concentrates according to a rationing programme. There were no residual effects of the mid-pregnancy treatments on lamb birth weights but ewes offered the poorer diets in mid pregnancy still tended to be lighter and thinner post partum. Equations are presented to predict the intakes of hays and silages from food and animal factors.

The effect of concentrate level on the intake of hays by ewes in late pregnancy

1984 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Orr ◽  
T. T. Treacher
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Predictive Equation ◽  
Fresh Weight ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Organic Matter Digestibility ◽  
Concentrate Level ◽  
Weight Number

ABSTRACTIn two experiments, ewes carrying two, three or four foetuses were offered restricted amounts of concentrates in the range 0 to 1050 g fresh weight per day and hay ad libitum from day 105 of pregnancy until lambing. The replacement rates of concentrates for forage were similar for both Teeswater × Dalesbred and Finnish Landrace × Dorset Horn ewes in experiment 1 (mean −0·63) when the ewes were offered hay which had an organic matter digestibility (OMD) in vitro of 0·56. There was no significant effect of number of foetuses carried on hay intake. As pregnancy progressed, hay intake increased slightly when hay alone was given and decreased at the higher levels of concentrates.In experiment 2, hay intake by Finnish Landrace × Dorset Horn ewes was significantly higher when hay of higher digestibility was offered (0·52, 0·69 and 0·84 OMD) and decreased when higher levels of concentrates were given. Ewes carrying two foetuses ate more than ewes with three or four foetuses particularly when hay was offered as the sole food. Generally, hay intake decreased as pregnancy progressed and this was more evident when concentrates were offered.A predictive equation is given to enable hay intake to be derived from hay digestibility, concentrate level, ewe live weight, number of foetuses carried and week of pregnancy.

scholarly journals Effect of Body Condition and Supplementary Feeding on the Reproductive Performance of Awassi Ewes

2009 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 138-145
Author(s):  
A. D. Salman
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
Body Condition Score ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Barley Straw ◽  
High Body ◽  
Randomized Design ◽  
Condition Score ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Supplementary Feed

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of body condition score (BCS) and supplementary feedingon the reproductive performance of Awassi ewes.One hundred sixty Awassi ewes aged 3-5 years (Average live weight 47.41±0.76) were used in acompletely randomized design. Six weeks before mating ewes were screened for their body conditionscore (BCS) and divided into two groups, low BCS (<2.0) and high BCS (>2.0) and ewes in each groupwere subdivided according to BCS and to non-supplemented and supplemented groups (n=40 ewes).Therefore, the four groups were:1. Group (LBCN) = Low Body Condition Non-supplemented.2. Group (LBCS) = Low Body Condition Supplemented.3. Group (HBCN) = High Body Condition Non-supplemented.4. Group (HBCS) = High Body Condition Supplemented.All ewes received ad libitum barley straw, and (350g DM/ewe/day) whole barley grains. The supplementedgroups (groups 2 and 4) were fed Mating Feed Blocks (MFB) ad libitum. Mature fertile Awassi rams(Three rams / group) were run with each group.The results showed that the pre-mating, mating, andpost-mating condition scores and body weights of the non-supplemented Ewes (Groups 1 and 3) aremaintained throughout the trial. Ewes offered supplementary feed the supplemented ewes (Groups 2and 4) gained in body condition score and weights, the differences were not significant. The BCS andweights at mating for supplemented groups are 2.12, 2.64 and 46.11, 53.38 kg for groups 2 and 4respectively. The results showed that the reproductive performance of Awassi ewes improved considerablydue initial BCS and MFB supplementation. The percent of ewes lambed after mating during the first andsecond estrus cycles were significantly (P<0.05) affected by ewes' initial BCS and MFB supplementation.The percent of ewes lambed in first cycle were 50%, 77%, 72.3% and 87% for groups LBCN, LBCS,HBCN and HBCS respectively. Supplementation of low BCS ewes resulted a significant (P<0.05)improvement in conception rate (17.5%) and lambing rate (12%). The results have not shown anysignificant of initial BCS and supplementation on twinning percentage. The percent of barren ewes at endof the trial was higher (20%, P<0.05) in LBCN compared 

Effects of nutrition in utero and in early life on the subsequent lifetime reproductive performance of Scottish Blackface ewes in two management systems

1995 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 223-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. G. Gunn ◽  
D. A. Sim ◽  
E. A. Hunter
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
Body Condition Score ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Lactation Period ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Grazing System ◽  
Condition Score ◽  
High Level

AbstractOver 3 years, a flock of Scottish Blackface ewes was managed so that one-third of the ewes received a high level of nutrition during the last 100 days of pregnancy (P), one-third received a high level of nutrition during the first 100 days of lactation (L) and one-third received a low level of nutrition as derived from a hill grazing over the same two periods (C). From these ewes, 496 ewe lambs were retained at weaning (19 to 22 weeks of age), balanced for treatment, year and birth type. At 6 months of age half of the lambs, similarly balanced, were transferred to an upland grazing system (U) for three breeding years. The other half was retained on the same hill grazing as their mothers for the same period (H). At the end of the study, all ewes were fed to reduce the range in body condition at a synchronized mating and ovulation rates were determined at slaughter.Differences in live weight of ewes due to treatment between groups P, L and C had disappeared by 18 months. There were no pre-mating differences between treatments in live weight or body condition score except that ewes in group P had higher live weights than those in group C at condition scores greater than 2·75. There was little effect of grazing system on the differences between treatments in live weight or body condition score at 30 and 42 months but H ewes were heavier and fatter at 18 months of age. Ewe mortality was consistently less in group L than in groups P and C and on system H than on system U, although the differences were not statistically significant. Group L had fewer barren ewes than groups P and C, and barrenness was significantly greater in the U than the H system. Group C had proportionally more single than multiple births than either groups P or L.At the end of the study there were no differences between the treatments in the proportion of ewes successfully mated at the final mating nor in their ovulation rates in relation to pre-mating body condition.It is concluded that nutrition during either the lactation period or late pregnancy period can influence subsequent lifetime reproductive performance and that this was expressed through an effect on embryo or foetal loss since there were neither residual differences apparent in live weight or condition score nor in ovulation rate potential.

A note on change in body condition in Rasa Aragonesa ewes given ammonia-treated barley straw after weaning

1993 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 409-412 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Purroy ◽  
C. Jaime ◽  
F. Muñoz ◽  
T. T. Treacher
Keyword(s):  
Factorial Design ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Body Condition Score ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Experimental Period ◽  
Current Level ◽  
Metabolizable Energy ◽  
Barley Straw ◽  
Fresh Matter ◽  
Condition Score

The effect of level of barley feeding (200, 400 or 600 g fresh matter per ewe per day) on the change in body condition, between weaning and mating, of ewes offered barley straw treated with ammonia was examined in experiment 1. In experiment 2, a 2 × 2 factorial design was used with two levels of restriction of metabolizable energy in lactation (proportionately 0·85 and 0·70 of the requirements) followed by two levels of feeding of barley (250 or 500 g) in the main experimental period. In experiment 1 the intake of straw was significantly lower when 600 glday was offered, and ewes given 200 g/day barky had significantly lower gain in live weight and body condition score. In experiment 2 the level of energy intake in lactation did not affect the intakes of straw, but the current level of barley feeding did.

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