Nutritional stress and pre-implantation embryonic mortality in Merino sheep, 1965

SUMMARYOf 120 mature Merino ewes, balanced groups received the following treatments from days 8 to 15 after fertile mating: 1, submaintenance nutrition plus 10 mg/day progesterone; 2, submaintenance without progesterone; 3, maintenance nutrition plus progesterone as above; 4, maintenance nutrition without progesterone.The ewes were in light condition, they lost some weight before mating, they had an ovulation rate of 108·3% and they barely maintained their mating weight during the first 3 months of pregnancy. The percentages of ova shed not represented by lambs at term were 60·6, 58·1, 48·5 and 62·5 for groups 1–4 respectively. There were no significant treatment differences or interactions.The high overall loss of ova could have been due in part to depressed fertilization rate: however, the general environmental conditions and low body weight of the ewes seems likely to have made an important contribution to the high basal loss. There was a significant regression of prenatal mortality on body weight at mating, but no detectable relationship between prenatal mortality and condition score.Sixteen oestrous cycles of over 21 days were distributed through all groups, indicating that considerable mortality occurred after day 13.

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Nutritional stress and pre-implantation embryonic mortality in Merino sheep, 1966

The Journal of Agricultural Science ◽

10.1017/s0021859600021146 ◽

1970 ◽

Vol 74 (1) ◽

pp. 187-192 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

T. N. Edey

Keyword(s):

Body Weight ◽

Nutritional Stress ◽

Embryonic Mortality ◽

Ovulation Rate ◽

Embryo Mortality ◽

Normal Length ◽

Merino Sheep ◽

Apparent Relationship

SUMMARYMature Merino ewes (108) which had been hand-mated to fertile rams received the following treatments: 1, submaintenance nutrition days 7–14 (34 ewes); 2, submaintenance nutrition days 20–27 (40 ewes); 3, control (34 ewes).The ewes were in fat condition, and gained weight before mating and throughout pregnancy except when on the submaintenance treatment. Their overall ovulation rate was 180·6%. The percentages of ova not represented by lambs at term were 30·6, 37·5 and 41·0 for groups 1–3 respectively, the differences being non-significant.Loss of ova in multiple ovulators was not significantly different from that in single ovulators and there was no relationship between body weight and prenatal loss. Nine post-mating oestrous cycles longer than 21 days were distributed through all groups in a pattern which bore no apparent relationship to nutritionally-induced embryo mortality. A higher proportion of ewes remained barren when re-mated after long than after normal-length oestrous cycles.

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Nutritional stress and pre-implantation embryonic mortality in Merino sheep, 1967

The Journal of Agricultural Science ◽

10.1017/s0021859600021158 ◽

1970 ◽

Vol 74 (1) ◽

pp. 193-198 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

T. N. Edey

Keyword(s):

Body Weight ◽

Adrenal Gland ◽

Significant Relationship ◽

Cycle Length ◽

Nutritional Stress ◽

Detailed Examination ◽

Embryonic Mortality ◽

Merino Sheep ◽

Length Data ◽

Maintenance Requirements

SUMMARYThree groups of mature Merino ewes, balanced for body weight and number of ovulations, and totalling 122 animals, received the following treatments subsequent to mating to fertile rams: 1. approximately half maintenance requirements from day 7 to 37; 2. approximately half maintenance requirements from day 7 to 37, plus 10 mg progesterone daily from day 20 to 37; 3. control.The ewes, which were in fat condition, had a mean ovulation rate of 121·3 %; except during the submaintenance period, they gained weight throughout pregnancy.The percentages of ova not represented by lambs at term were 34·7, 46·0 and 42·6 in groups 1 to 3 respectively, the differences being non-significant. Detailed examination of the cycle length data of ewes returning to service suggests that some embryos may have been killed by the submaintenance treatment. Progesterone treatment was not beneficial, nor did its sudden withdrawal on day 37 appear to be detrimental to foetal survival. In a sample of ewes slaughtered on day 37, adrenal gland weights were significantly lower in the two treated groups.Significantly higher losses of ova occurred among twin than among single ovulators and there was some evidence that this was non-random. There was no significant relationship between prenatal mortality and body weight at mating.

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Morphological and reproductive characteristics of the Boutsko sheep of Epirus

Journal of the Hellenic Veterinary Medical Society ◽

10.12681/jhvms.15678 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 51 (3) ◽

pp. 213

Author(s):

S. G. FOLINAS (Γ. Σ. ΦΩΛΙΝΑΣ)

Keyword(s):

Body Weight ◽

Body Condition ◽

Environmental Conditions ◽

Body Condition Score ◽

Early Maturity ◽

Mating Period ◽

Reproductive Characteristics ◽

Condition Score ◽

Of Greece ◽

Lambing Rate

A flock of 244 hill sheep of the indigenous Boutsko breed of Epirus (NW of Greece), 1-6 years old, kept under a transhumance system, was used to study their morphological and reproductive characteristics for a period of 14 months (March -June of next year). The results of the study could be summarized as follows: 1) The Boutsko sheep studied is a rather small indigenous hill breed (mature body weight of ewes=40,7±0,37 Kg and rams = 54,4±l,82 Kg) with hardness, longevity, early maturity and high adaptability to the harsh environmental conditions of being its most important characteristics. 2) The mating period begins relatively early (June) lasts until September, with ewes being mated first, followed by ewe hoggs and gimmers. 3) Pregnancy duration was 144,3 ±0,09 and 146,5± 0,07 days for the ewes bearing twin and single Iambs, respectively (P<0,001) and 144,0 and 145,9±0,12 days for the gimmers bearing twin and single lambs, respectively (P<0,05). Body condition score of animals at the end of pregnancy remained satisfactory (3.25 ±0,14). 4) Fertility of the animals was high. All females were mated and lambed. Lambing rate at birth and at weaning was 1,25 and 1,04, respectively.

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70 Cows housed in muddy environmental conditions during late gestation have lesser body weight and body condition score compared with cows housed on wood chips

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1093/jas/skaa278.088 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 98 (Supplement_4) ◽

pp. 48-48

Author(s):

Kirsten Nickles ◽

Alejandro E Relling ◽

Alvaro Garcia-Guerra ◽

Francis L Fluharty ◽

Anthony J Parker

Keyword(s):

Body Weight ◽

Body Condition ◽

Environmental Conditions ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Body Condition Score ◽

Block Design ◽

Late Gestation ◽

Wood Chips ◽

Control Treatment ◽

Condition Score

Abstract Future climate predictions suggest greater precipitation events and an increase in mean ambient temperature during winter months, creating wet and muddy conditions during the last third of gestation for spring calving beef cows. Cows housed in these conditions will likely have increased energy requirements; however, there is limited data on cow requirements in such circumstances. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of muddy environmental conditions on cow body weight (BW) and body condition score (BCS) in late gestation. Twenty multiparous Angus cows (n = 10/treatment) housed and fed individually were used in this study. Cows were paired based on initial BW, and one cow from each pair was randomly allocated to either the mud (MUD) or control treatment (CON). Cows in the CON treatment were bedded with wood chips and not exposed to mud, while cows in the MUD treatment were housed in mud (23.6 ± 5.8 cm). Cows were fed the same diet, and each pair was fed to the CON cow’s requirements for maintenance and day of gestation. Maintenance requirements were adjusted weekly. From 213 to 269 days of gestation, cows were sampled for BW and BCS weekly. Data were analyzed as a randomized complete block design with repeated measurements, and the SLICE option of SAS was used for mean separation. All cows started at similar BW (P = 0.35) and BCS (P = 0.79); however, cows housed in muddy conditions had lesser BW (P < 0.01) and BCS (P < 0.01) at day 269 compared with CON cows, while there were no dry matter refusals from any animals throughout the study. Therefore, MUD cows weighed 37.6 kg less than CON cows by the end of the study while dry matter intake was the same between treatments, indicating that mud greatly increased cow requirements.

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Milk Production, Body Weight, Body Condition Score, Activity, and Rumination of Organic Dairy Cattle Grazing Two Different Pasture Systems Incorporating Cool- and Warm-Season Forages

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani11020264 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 264

Author(s):

Kathryn E. Ritz ◽

Bradley J. Heins ◽

Roger D. Moon ◽

Craig C. Sheaffer ◽

Sharon L. Weyers

Keyword(s):

Body Weight ◽

Milk Production ◽

Body Condition Score ◽

Warm Season ◽

Cool Season ◽

Organic Dairy ◽

Condition Score ◽

Annual Grasses ◽

System 2 ◽

System 1

Organic dairy cows were used to evaluate the effect of two organic pasture production systems (temperate grass species and warm-season annual grasses and cool-season annuals compared with temperate grasses only) across two grazing seasons (May to October of 2014 and 2015) on milk production, milk components (fat, protein, milk urea nitrogen (MUN), somatic cell score (SCS)), body weight, body condition score (BCS), and activity and rumination (min/day). Cows were assigned to two pasture systems across the grazing season at an organic research dairy in Morris, Minnesota. Pasture System 1 was cool-season perennials (CSP) and Pasture System 2 was a combination of System 1 and warm-season grasses and cool-season annuals. System 1 and System 2 cows had similar milk production (14.7 and 14.8 kg d−1), fat percentage (3.92% vs. 3.80%), protein percentage (3.21% vs. 3.17%), MUN (12.5 and 11.5 mg dL−1), and SCS (4.05 and 4.07), respectively. Cows in System 1 had greater daily rumination (530 min/day) compared to cows in System 2 (470 min/day). In summary, warm-season annual grasses may be incorporated into grazing systems for pastured dairy cattle.

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Impact of Supplementing Feed Restricted Ewes' Diet with Propylene Glycol, Monensin Sodium and Rumen-Protected Choline Chloride During Late Pregnancy on Blood Biochemical Indices, Body Condition Score and Body Weight

Animal Feed Science and Technology ◽

10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2020.114801 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 114801

Author(s):

Leila Ahmadzadeh-Gavahan ◽

Ali Hosseinkhani ◽

Akbar Taghizadeh ◽

Babak Ghasemi-Panahi ◽

Gholamreza Hamidian ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Body Weight ◽

Propylene Glycol ◽

Body Condition ◽

Body Condition Score ◽

Choline Chloride ◽

Late Pregnancy ◽

Blood Biochemical ◽

Condition Score ◽

Biochemical Indices ◽

Blood Biochemical Indices

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Genetic evaluation of production traits between and within flocks of Merino sheep. I. Hogget fleece weights, body weight and wool quality

Australian Journal of Agricultural Research ◽

10.1071/ar9890433 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 40 (2) ◽

pp. 433 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

SI Mortimer ◽

KD Atkins

Keyword(s):

Body Weight ◽

Environmental Effects ◽

Genetic Variance ◽

Research Centre ◽

Production Traits ◽

Merino Sheep ◽

Wool Production ◽

Phenotypic Correlations ◽

Genetic And Phenotypic Correlations ◽

Fleece Weight

Wool production traits were measured on Merino hogget ewes in an unselected multiple-bloodline flock over a 7-year period at Trangie Agricultural Research Centre, N.S.W. The traits measured were greasy fleece weight (GFW), skirted fleece weight (SKFW), yield (Y), clean fleece weight (CFW), fibre diameter (FD), body weight (BWT) and staple length (SL). These measurements were used to examine genetic differences between and within flocks of Merino sheep, and to estimate heritability of and genetic and phenotypic correlations among these traits. Significant strain, flock within strain and flock effects were present for all traits. Interactions between these effects and year were non-significant. Within-flock genetic variance was always larger than between-flock within strain genetic variance for each trait. The influence of environmental effects on these traits was also examined. The environmental effects of birth-rearing type, age at observation and age of dam together accounted for about 7-10% of the total within-flock variation in fleece weights and body weight.After adjusting for significant environmental effects, paternal half-sib heritability estimates were 0.29 �. 0.06 for GFW, 0.22 � 0.05 for SKFW, 0.35 � 0.05 for Y, 0.30 �0.06 for CFW, 0.48 �0.07 for FD, 0.34 �. 0.06 for BWT and 0.44 �0.07 for SL. Estimates for genetic and phenotypic correlations were in agreement with published estimates except for the genetic correlation between CFW and FD (0.40 �. 0.11), and the genetic correlations involving BWT, which were essentially zero. The implications of the results of this study for the genetic improvement of Merino sheep for wool production are discussed.

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Physical activity level of adult cats with varied feeding frequency

British Journal Of Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s0007114511001863 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 106 (S1) ◽

pp. S166-S169 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Ping Deng ◽

Ryan W. Grant ◽

Kelly S. Swanson

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Body Weight ◽

Body Condition ◽

Body Condition Score ◽

Activity Level ◽

Feeding Time ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Feeding Frequency ◽

Condition Score ◽

Adult Cats

The prevalence of feline obesity is influenced by numerous factors, including inactivity and overconsumption of food. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of feeding frequency on physical activity in adult cats. A total of twelve healthy adult cats were used in a cross-over study consisting of 32 d. In each of the two periods, six cats were fed either two meals or four meals daily. Throughout the study, cats were fed the same diet at amounts to maintain body weight and body condition score. Cats were individually housed 4 h/d at each scheduled feeding time, while for the other 20 h, cats were group-housed to allow for voluntary physical activity in the room with a 16 h light–8 h dark cycle. Voluntary activity levels were evaluated using Actical activity collars for seven consecutive days in each period. Daily average activity level for two-meal-fed cats (20·04 (sem 2·19), activity counts/epoch (15 s)) was not different from four-meal-fed cats (20·14 (sem 2·15), activity counts/epoch (15 s); P>0·05). In conclusion, when group-housed cats are fed to maintain their body weight and body condition score, varied feeding frequency between twice and four times daily may not affect activity levels.

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