Maternal-foetal adaptation to mid pregnancy feed restriction in single-bearing ewes

1991 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 969 ◽  
Author(s):  
VH Oddy ◽  
PJ Holst

In two experiments, restriction of feed to levels below maintenance for periods of up to 4 weeks was imposed on groups of ewes bearing single foetuses at 79, 87 or 95 days post coitus. In the first experiment, carried out at pasture, measurements were made of concentration of ovine placental lactogen (oPL) and progesterone in ewe plasma. Effects on lamb birth weight and gestation length were also examined. The second experiment investigated the effect of maternal feed restriction of (i) feed intake, (ii) maternal oPL, (iii) maternal plasma glucose concentration, (iv) lamb birth weight and (v) gestation length. In the first experiment, there were no significant effects of feed restriction on lamb birth weight or gestation length, although foetal growth rate had been reduced in some treatment groups. There were significant interactions between time of sampling and treatment for oPL and progesterone concentration. Control group ewes had lower oPL (P< 0.001) and progesterone (P < 0.05) concentrations than restricted ewes at the end of feed restriction, but higher oPL (P < 0.001) and progesterone (P <0.05) concentrations at 144 days post coitus. In the second experiment, lamb birth weight and gestation length were not significantly affected by maternal feed restriction (birth weight: restricted 4.94 kg, control 4.87 kg av. s.e.m. 0.17 kg; gestation length: restricted 148.3 days, control 147.0 days, av. s.e.m. 0.76 days). Feed restriction was associated with increased (P < 0.05) oPL and decreased glucose (P < 0.05) concentration in plasma. Maternal feed intake was significantly higher (P <0.05) in the restricted group in the week preceding lambing. These results strongly suggest that continuation of maternal feed intake over the last week of pregnancy is the major contributor to maintenance of 'normal' lamb birth weight in previously feed restricted ewes.

2008 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 185
Author(s):  
E. Mullaart ◽  
B. Landman ◽  
J. S. Merton

Animals derived by ovum pickup-in vitro production (OPU-IVP) have a higher birth weight compared with animals derived by AI (Wagtendonk et al. 2000 Theriogenology 53, 575–597). It has been suggested that this higher birth weight is the result of epigenetic changes such as aberrant methylation and gene expression pattern, which are caused by the presence of serum in the culture medium (Wrenzycki et al. 2004 Anim. Reprod. Sci. 82–83, 593–603). The present study aimed to investigate whether the higher birth weight, possibly caused by epigenetic changes, is a permanent characteristic that is transmitted to the offspring. We therefore monitored the birth weight of calves born after insemination of OPU-IVP-derived animals. Ovum pickup-IVP was performed according to routine procedures. Immature COC were recovered by OPU. The COC were matured in vitro in TCM-199 supplemented with fetal calf serum (FCS)/LH/FSH. Subsequently, matured oocytes were fertilized with frozen–thawed gradient-separated semen and further cultured for 7 days in TCM-199/10% FCS on a BRL monolayer (CoCul group) or in SOFaaBSA (SOF group). First-generation OPU-IVP animals were produced from oocytes collected by OPU of AI-derived animals. The second generation was produced by inseminating OPU-IVP animals. Calves generated by inseminating AI animals were used as a control group. Birth weights of control AI, first-generation, and second-generation calves were analyzed by using restricted maximum likelihood (Genstat 9.1). Model Birth Weight: *Fixed: Parity Recipient + Sex + Gestation Length + Year + Embryo Type (AI, first, or second generation) + Culture System (CoCul or SOF). *Random: Sire + Barn. The results (Table 1) clearly show that the first-generation (OPU-IVP) calves had, on average, a 3.4-kg greater birth weight than the AI calves. The second-generation calves, however, had approximately the same birth weight as the calves in the AI control group. Our results indicated that the high birth weight of OPU-IVP-derived calves is not a permanent characteristic that is transmitted to their offspring. Previous studies have demonstrated that the fertility of OPU-IVP-derived animals is in the normal range (Wagtendonk et al. 2000 Theriogenology 53, 575–597). Table 1. Birth weight (least squares means ± SE) of AI calves (control), first generation OPU-IVP-derived calves, and second generation AI derived calves from OPU-IVP mothers


1978 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. I. ELLIOT ◽  
G. A. LODGE

Thirty-two Yorkshire sows were given either 0.45 or 2.27 kg feed/day from day 100 of gestation to farrowing to determine whether short-term restriction of feed intake during late gestation affected either the reproduction or lactation performance of the sows. Level of feeding from day 100 of gestation significantly affected prefarrowing weight change (P <.01) and the net weight change from day 100 to immediately postfarrowing (P <.01). An inverse relationship in the pattern of prefarrowing and lactation weight changes was observed. Restriction of prefarrowing feed intake did not significantly affect litter size, birth weight or weaning weight of the piglets. However, reduced intake prefarrowing was counterbalanced by increased intake postfarrowing with no overall saving in feed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-76
Author(s):  
M Tion ◽  
M. T. Orga ◽  
I. A. Adeka

Two hundred and twenty five day old straight run broiler chicks were utilized in completely randomized design to test the effect of restricting feed intake of four groups of chicks to 92.5% 85.0%, 77.5% and 70.0% of the unrestricted (control) group in the starter phase and following adlibitum feeding for all groups in the finisher phase. The treatments were simply designated as A, B, C, D and E. The starter phase in which the restriction was carried out lasted 28 days and the finisher phase 42 days. Parameters evaluated during the starter and finisher phases included; growth rate, feed conversion ration and mortality rate. Results show gain in weight among all groups while the group fed diet B and the control had comparable weight gain at the starter phase. The percentage weight difference between the control and each of the other dietary groups was: 4.4%, 8.4%, 8.6% and 10.4% for the treatments B, C, D and E respectively. Feed gain ration improved as the level of restriction became stricter. Following ad-libitum feeding of all grops at the finisher phase, the feed restricted groups at the starter phase voraciously increased their feed intake, thus, producing comparable performance values with the unrestricted (control) group in weight gain in the 8th week of the study. Although birds in all groups averaged more than 2000g final live weight in 10weeks, significant differences exist between groups that were fed diets C, D, and E that were restricted at the starter phase, an indication that complete compensatory growth was not obtainable. Feed gain ration improved for restricted groups. Mortality rate did not show any trend attributable to levels of feed restriction. This study shows that broiler chicks fed restricted levels of balanced diet at the starter phase but later fed ad-libitum at the finisher phase could attain a finished weight of about 2000g or more at a market age of 10 weeks (70 days) with an improvement in feed gain ration.


2009 ◽  
Vol 49 (12) ◽  
pp. 1093 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. J. Strickland ◽  
J. S. Fisher ◽  
W. T. Potts ◽  
G. W. Hepworth

With the increased incidence of parasite resistance to chemical anthelmintics worldwide novel approaches to manage parasite infection, such as medicinal plants and their extracts, are being investigated by the scientific community. The current study tested the effect of three rates of garlic (0.9, 1.8 and 3.6%) in a pelleted ration on Haemonchus contortus in sheep. Thirty-nine Merino wether lambs aged 6 months were divided into five treatment groups, including three garlic dose rates and two control groups that received no garlic. All animals were infected with 4000 L3 H. contortus larvae 3 weeks after allocation to treatments. A positive control group was drenched with abamectin 28 days after infection. The synthetic drench was effective in controlling the parasites, but there was no reduction in either worm egg counts (WEC) or total worm count due to the garlic. The 3.6% garlic treatment had significantly lower (P < 0.05) liveweight, feed intake, body condition score and feed conversion ratio than any of the other treatment groups, suggesting that this level of garlic had a low level of anti-nutritional properties. There was an interaction between faecal WEC and voluntary feed intake over time, with the animals with higher voluntary feed intake having lower WEC over time.


Author(s):  
Hery Wijayanto ◽  
Tri Wahyu Pangestiningsih ◽  
Erdiansyah Rahmi

The study was conducted to investigate the effects of caffeine treatment during organogenesis period to the fetal birth weight, using rat (Rattus norvegicus) as the animal model. Thirty-six primipararat obtained from Unit Pengembangan Hewan Percobaan, Gadjah Mada University (UPHP-GMU), 3 month old, 165-200 g body weight, were divided into 6 groups, consisted of 6 rats each. Six of the ratshave been selected based on the estrous cycles, and only rat with regular estrous were use for theexperiment. The rat then were mated, and during day 6-14 of the pregnancies were treated orally withcaffeine diluted in aquadest in dosage: placebo (1 cc aquadest) for group I (control), and 5.4, 10.8, 16.2,21.6, and 27 g/200 g body weight/day for treatment groups II-VI respectively. The pregnant rat bodyweights were determined at day 6 of pregnancies for calculating the caffeine treatment dosages. At day 20thof the pregnancies all of the pregnant rats were caesarotomized, and all of the fetuses were removed and weighed. The results showed that all of the treatment groups have significantly lower birth weightcompare to the groups control group. More over, fetal obtained from the treatment groups also showedserious subcutaneous hemorrhagic.Keywords: organogenesis, Rattus norvegicus, birth weight


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Youssef A Attia ◽  
Abd-Elhamid E Abd-Elhamid ◽  
Manal Mustafa ◽  
Mohammed A Al-Harthi ◽  
Mai Muhammad

An experiment was conducted to study the response of a slow growing chickens breed “Sinai” to feed restriction (FR) and the effects on growth performance, blood constituents and immune markers using a total number of 60 unsexed 7-d-old chicks. Chickens were housed in battery brooders during d 1 to 35 of age and randomly distributed keeping similar initial body weight, in two FR treatment groups. During 0-6 d of age, chickens were fed ad libitum, a mash commercial diet. During d 7-14 of age, chickens were fed either 100 or 80 % of the daily amount of feed consumed by the control group during the previous day. From d 15 to d 35, chickens were fed ad libitum diets a mash commercial diet. At the end of the experiment, body weight gain on the FR regimen was significantly lower than that of the control group, but feed intake and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were not affected. In addition, red blood cells parameters and white blood cells traits were not negatively affected. However, hemagglutination inhibition titter for New castle disease virus, monocyte and total cholesterol were significantly decreased by FR regimen, but blood plasma albumin and immunoglobulin A significantly increased. In conclusion, slow growing chickens could tolerate 27.2 % FR during the 2nd week of age without significant differences in feed intake and FCR for the whole period, and general health status and metabolic profiles indicating a compensatory growth during 15-35 d of age although growth was in favour to the unrestricted group. 


Author(s):  
Musa Karaalp ◽  
Vecihi Aksakal ◽  
Sevim Beyza Ozturk Sarikaya ◽  
Hilal Urusan ◽  
Bahri Bayram ◽  
...  

The aim of this trial was to study the effects of consuming water with apple cider vinegar (ACV) and feed including mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) stalk (MS) on performance and certain egg characteristics. The hens were separated into four treatment groups (with 4 replicates and 6 hens per replicate). The experimental groups were control (not consumed ACV and MS), ACV (3 ml/l drinking water), MS (20 g/kg feed) and ACV+MS (combination). At the end of the experiment, among the performance criteria tested, body weight, feed intake, egg production and weight of eggs, and feed efficiency were not affected by the treatments (P>0.05). Treatments had no effect on physical external and internal egg characteristics. The amount of yolk malondialdehyde of the ACV and MS groups was lower than the control group (P Less then 0.05) in stored eggs (28 d) (P Less then 0.05).


2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (5) ◽  
pp. 1749-1761 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Yin ◽  
Hui Han ◽  
Yuying Li ◽  
Zhaojin Liu ◽  
Yurong Zhao ◽  
...  

Background/Aims: Our previous reports suggested that dietary supplementation with lysine influenced intestinal absorption and metabolism of amino acids. In this study, we further investigated the effect of lysine restriction (30%) on feed intake and we also tested the hypothesis that gut microbiome contributed to the potential mechanism of lysine restriction-mediated feeding behavior. Here, we profiled gut microbial communities by sequencing 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) genes from gut samples as well as growth performance, serum hormones, and intestinal lysine transport in a piglet model. Results: Piglets preferred to the lysine restricted diet when giving three diets and the feed intake was markedly higher in the lysine-restricted group than that in the control group. Altered hormones (leptin, CCK, and ghrelin) might contribute to the feeding behavior caused by lysine restriction. Meanwhile, lysine transporting ability (SLC7A1 and SLC7A2 expression, intestinal electrophysiological changes, and amino acid pool in mesenteric vein) was decreased in response to lysine restriction. Through deep sequencing of bacterial rRNA markers, we observed that bacterial diversity was enhanced in the lysine-restricted group (Shannon H, PD, and Chao1). At the phylum level, lysine restriction enhanced gut Actinobacteria, Saccharibacteria, and Synergistetes abundances. At the family level, Moraxellaceae, Halomonadaceae, Shewanellaceae, Corynebacteriaceae, Bacillaceae, Comamonadaceae, Microbacteriaceae, Caulobacteraceae, and Synergistaceae abundances were increased in response to lysine restriction. Predictive functional profiling of microbial communities by PICRUSt also confirmed that dietary lysine restriction affected gut microbiome, which might further mediate amino acid metabolism, membrane transport, and endocrine system. Conclusion: Our results indicated that lysine restriction inhibited intestinal lysine transport and promoted feed intake, which might be associated with gut microbiome.


1996 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. F. G. Beck ◽  
M. Jones ◽  
B. Davies ◽  
A. R. Peters ◽  
S. P. Williams

AbstractAn experiment was designed to determine whether an injection of 4 μg of the GnRH agonist buserelin (GnRH) followed, 5 days later, by an injection of 100 μg of prostaglandin F2α analogue (PGF), would give a level of oestrus synchronization and fertility comparable with a standard double dose PGF regime. A total of 200 Welsh Halfbred ewes were divided by live weight into two treatment groups using a system of random stratification during the 1994 breeding season. Ninety-one percent of the ewes treated with GnRH combined with PGF were mated by fertile rams within a 3-day period compared with 94% of ewes treated with two injections of PGF, 11-days apart. Returns to service for the two groups were 11·1% and 7·4%, respectively. There was no effect of treatment on lambing performance, as a similar percentage of ewes in the GnRH plus PGF group (88·8%) and the double dose PGF group (92·5%) lambed to synchronized oestrus. Gestation length, litter size and lamb birth weight were similar for both groups. These results demonstrate that GnRH combined with PGF will produce levels of oestrus synchronization and fertility comparable with a double dose PGF regime.


Author(s):  
Behlül Sevim ◽  
Seyit Ahmet Gökmen ◽  
Barışcan Curabay ◽  
Yusuf Cufadar ◽  
Yılmaz Bahtiyarca

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of adding orange peel (PKY), lemon peel essential oils (LKY) and PKY+LKY (respectively 300, 300, 150+150 mg/kg) to laying quail diets on performance, egg internal and external quality parameters and hatchability parameters. The eight-week trial was conducted in 20 subgroups, with 4 treatment groups and 5 replications for each treatment, and a total of 120 Japanese quails at 10 weeks of age were randomly distributed, with 6 quails (4 females, 2 males) in each subgroup. Feed intake with the addition of LKY to the diet, egg production and egg mass with the addition of PKY + LKY decreased significantly compared to the control group, and the eggshell breaking resistance with the addition of LKY and PKY + LKY increased significantly compared to the control group. However, the addition of LKY, PKY and PKY+LKY to the diet did not affect hatchability and reproduction parameters. According to these results, the addition of 300 mg/kg PKY and 300 mg/kg (150+150) PKY+LKY to breeder quail diets had an effect on the increase of eggshell qualityi, although the performance was adversely affected.


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