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.

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.

A comparative study of dry matter intake and digestive pool variations in Manchega and Lacaune dairy sheep

1999 ◽  
Vol 1999 ◽  
pp. 98-98
Author(s):  
E. Molina ◽  
A. Ferret ◽  
G. Caja ◽  
S. Calsamiglia ◽  
J. Gasa
Keyword(s):  
Milk Yield ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Body Condition Score ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Dry Matter Intake ◽  
Dry Matter Digestibility ◽  
Condition Score ◽  
Pregnancy And Lactation ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Average Body

Manchega (MN) and Lacaune (LC) are two semi-coarse-wooled dairy breeds with similar size but different milk yield, the latter producing twice as much milk as the former (Pérez, 1997). The aim of this experiment was to compare, under the same feed conditions, dry matter intake and performance in late pregnancy and lactation and digestive pools of these two breeds.Twenty-four ewes, 12 per breed, were used in three different periods: late pregnancy (8 weeks), rearing (5 weeks) and milking (7 weeks). At lambing, average body weight was 74.4 vs 78.5 kg, for LC and MN, respectively. Dry matter intake (DMI), apparent dry matter digestibility (DMD), body condition score (BCS) and milk yield (MY) standardized according to Bocquier et al. (1993) were recorded.

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.

Effects of nutrition in late pregnancy on subsequent milk production in Ewes

1970 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. T. Treacher
Keyword(s):  
Milk Production ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Lower Content ◽  
Weight Changes ◽  
Total Birth ◽  
Weight Gains ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Voluntary Intake

SUMMARY1. Scottish Half-bred ewes carrying twin foetuses were fed individually to make live-weight gains in the last six weeks of pregnancy of (1) 20%, (2) 10% and (3) 0% of their live weight in week 14 of pregnancy. In lactation the ewes were fed ad libitum. The lambs were removed 12 to 16 hr after parturition and the ewes were machine-milked twice daily for the first six weeks of lactation.2. Total birth weights per ewe of twin lambs from the treatments were (1) 10·10 kg, (2) 9·44 kg and (3) 8·18 kg and differed significantly.3. The level and pattern of voluntary intake in lactation did not differ significantly between the treatments. Total dry-matter intakes in the six weeks of lactation were (1) 121·9 kg (2) 105·9 kg and (3) 109·5 kg.4. The pregnancy treatments affected the level of milk production and the shape of lactation curves. The total yields in the first six weeks of lactation were (1) 58·8 kg, (2) 43·5 kg and (3) 26·9 kg. Higher contents of fat and protein and the lower content of lactose in the milk from treatment-3 ewes on days 1 and 3 of lactation indicated a slower onset of lactation in these ewes. Between days 7 and 35 of lactation the contents of fat and SNF were lowest on treatment 3 but the differences were not significant.5. The live-weight changes in lactation, which were in inverse order to the gains in late pregnancy, were (1) 3·4 kg, (2) 5·5 kg and (3) 9·5 kg.

The effect of dry matter concentration on component digestibility and retention in growing/finishing pigs fed diets varying only in water:dry matter ratio

2002 ◽  
Vol 2002 ◽  
pp. 82-82
Author(s):  
J.E. Thompson ◽  
J. Wiseman ◽  
B.P. Gill
Keyword(s):  
Growth Performance ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Matter Content ◽  
Liquid Diet ◽  
Dry Matter Content ◽  
Finishing Pigs ◽  
Dry Matter Concentration ◽  
Matter Concentration

There is potential for improving the growth performance of pigs through a better understanding of factors that influence the digestibility of nutrients and energy in liquid feeds. These factors include dry matter content and the size and distribution of particles of the dry feed components within the liquid diet. The objective of the current study was to determine if changing the dry matter concentration of liquid feeds affects the digestibility and retention of nutrients and energy in pigs growing from 35kg to 95kg live weight.

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.

The effect of pre- and post-partum energy and protein supply on the performance of single- and twin-suckling beef cows and their calves

1994 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 379-389 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. D. Sinclair ◽  
P. J. Broadbent ◽  
J. S. M. Hutchinson
Keyword(s):  
Energy Intake ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Body Condition Score ◽  
Post Partum ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Trial Period ◽  
Condition Score ◽  
Daily Milk ◽  
Body Condition Scores

AbstractChanges in live weight, body condition, milk production and composition were monitored for single- and twinsuckling cows in two experiments. In experiment 1, all cows were managed for 3 months before calving to achieve condition scores at calving 2·1 (low) and 3·1 (moderate). Subsequently, these animals were placed on a fixed level of energy intake (80 MJ metabolizable energy (ME) per day) for 16 weeks. Post-partum diets contained differing amounts of digestible undegradable protein (DUP), but similar amounts of effective rumen degradable protein (ERDP). In experiment 2, single- and twin-suckling cows were fed to achieve a condition score at calving of around 2·75. These animals were subsequently placed on two levels of energy intake (80 MJ and 130 MJ ME per day) during the first 16 weeks of lactation. The diets providing these energy intakes also contained differing amounts of DUP. Neither the level of DUP in the diet nor the level of feeding significantly altered the digestibility of the dry matter or organic matter in the dry matter of the experimental diets.Body condition at calving had little effect on daily milk yield (9·5 kg) and composition (33·5 g/kg fat; 30-0 g/kg protein) in experiment 1. Cows with higher body condition scores at calving lost 13·5 kg more live weight and 0·26 units more body condition (P < 0·05) during the 1st month post partum but remained in better condition throughout the trial period than cows with lower body condition scores. Cows on 130 MJ ME per day produced higher (P < 0·001) daily yields of milk, milk fat and protein (+2·0 kg; +151 g; +85 g) and lost 57 kg less live weight and 0·52 units less body condition (P < 0·001) than cows on 80 MJ ME per day. Elevated dietary levels of DUP promoted (P < 0·05) daily milk yields (by 1·25 kg) and reduced live-weight and body condition-score loss during the 1st month post partum in both experiments. Twin-suckling cows produced the highest average daily yields of milk throughout the 16-week trial period in both experiments but yields were not significantly higher after early lactation in experiment 1. Cow body condition score at calving and the level of DUP in the post-partum diet of cows had no effect on the post-partum performance of calves. Twin calves had slower growth rates (P < 0·001) than single calves (0·65 and 1·07 kg/day respectively) in experiment 1. However, twin calves sucking cows on 130 MJ ME per day in experiment 2 grew similarly to single sucking calves from week 8 of lactation (0·8 kg/day).

Endogenous losses of phosphorus by sheep

1989 ◽  
Vol 113 (3) ◽  
pp. 291-297 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. H. Ternouth
Keyword(s):  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Salivary Secretion ◽  
Dry Matter Intake ◽  
Barley Straw ◽  
Faecal Excretion ◽  
Physical Form ◽  
Dry Matter Concentration ◽  
P Balance ◽  
Matter Concentration

SUMMARYTwelve sheep were fed semisynthetic roughage diets at three rates to study the effects of intake of dry matter, concentration of phosphorus and the physical form of two low-P barley straws upon the faecal losses of P. The sheep were in negative P balance throughout the experiement. The absorption of dietary P increased with P intake and was unaffected by differences in the physical form of the roughage. For each barley straw diet, endogenous faecal P increased with dry matter intake, and was higher when the roughage was ground than chopped. Over the whole experiment, daily endogenous faecal P ranged from 8·5 to 31·5 mg/kg live weight. Endogenous faecal P was related to P intake or to dry matter intake and plasma inorganic P. The concentration of faecal endogenous P was negatively related to the intake of each diet. It is concluded that the concentration of inorganic plasma P and the rate of salivary secretion are responsible for the endogenous faecal excretion of P and the regulation of P balance in sheep fed low-P diets.

scholarly journals Impact of change in body condition score in mid-late pregnancy in ewes fed a mixed diet on lamb survival and performance

2020 ◽  
Vol 82 ◽  
pp. 211-219
Author(s):  
Sue McCoard ◽  
Shen-Yan Hea ◽  
Catherine McKenzie ◽  
Kirsty Hammond ◽  
Tim Smith
Keyword(s):  
Litter Size ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Body Condition Score ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Late Gestation ◽  
Condition Score ◽  
Lamb Survival ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Mixed Age ◽  
Positive Effect

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect that body condition score of pregnant ewes fed on turnip and swede crops during mid-late gestation had on offspring survival and performance. Data were collected from 755 multiparous mixed-age ewes carrying 1–4 fetuses. Ewes grazed a turnip crop for 1 month prior to pregnancy scanning with supplementary ryegrass/clover baleage (~75 days gestation) followed by a swede crop with supplementary Lucerne baleage for 1 month following pregnancy scanning (to ~120 days gestation). Ewe body condition score (BCS) at mating, pregnancy scanning and pre-lambing, along with lamb survival and growth rates to weaning were recorded. Lamb survival from pregnancy scanning to tailing differed by litter size (P<0.001) with lower survival in litters with 3 or more lambs compared to singles and twins which did not differ. Improving BCS from pregnancy scanning to 120 days gestation had a positive effect on lamb survival irrespective of litter size and ewe age (P<0.001). Lamb survival in ewes ≥5 years of age, irrespective of litter size, was lower (P<0.001) compared to 2 or 3–4-year-old ewes, which in turn did not differ from each other. The key finding of the study was that loss in BCS from pregnancy scanning to 120 days gestation, negatively impacted on lamb survival, especially in ewes carrying 3 or more fetuses and in ewes >5 years of age irrespective of the number of fetuses carried. Furthermore, there was high variation in BCS change observed in both early and mid-pregnancy.  

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.

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