Effects of energy and protein intake on ovulation rate associated with the feeding of lupin grain to Merino ewes

1981 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 79 ◽  
Author(s):  
IC Fletcher
Keyword(s):  
Protein Intake ◽  
Crude Protein ◽  
Initial Level ◽  
Ovulation Rate ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
Low Protein ◽  
Multiple Ovulation ◽  
Additional Protein ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Australian Merino

Five rations formulated from varying amounts of pasture hay and oat, lupin and pea grains were fed to South Australian Merino ewes at different controlled levels of digestible energy and crude protein intakes. Ovulation was recorded by laparoscopy or laparotomy 17 days and 34 days after the commencement of the experiment, An increase in protein intake supplied by lupin grain increased the ovulation rate through an increased incidence of multiple ovulation only when the initial level of feeding supplied low protein and energy intakes, and not when the initial level of feeding provided moderate intakes of protein and energy. The response in ovulation rate was evident within the first 17 days after protein intake was increased, and did not change further during the second 17-day period. Particularly in November/ December, when a proportion of ewes failed to ovulate, the mean ovulation rate of ewes fed at low protein and energy intakes was increased more by additional protein and energy together than by additional protein alone. It is suggested that increased protein intake per se stimulates the ovulation rate only when the initial intake is close to the maintenance requirement, and that energy, either by itself or together with protein, subsequently becomes the limiting factor.

Effects of dietary deficiencies of energy, protein and calcium on the pregnant ewe. II. Body composition and mineral content of the lamb

1972 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. R. Sykes ◽  
A. C. Field
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Crude Protein ◽  
Mineral Content ◽  
Ketone Bodies ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Mineral Contents ◽  
Semitendinosus Muscle ◽  
Low Protein ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Pregnant Ewe

SUMMARYThe effects of low protein and low Ca intakes during pregnancy on lamb composition and mineral contents have been investigated. Twenty-eight 6½-year-old Blackface ewes were used in a 2 × 2 experiment in which semi-purified diets containing 11·8 and 6·0% crude protein and 1·2 and 0·11 % Ca in the dry matter were offered to maintain constant levels of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and ketone bodies in the plasma, comparable to those found in hill sheep in winter. A further group, control, were fed a conventional diet containing adequate crude protein and Ca to maintain NEFA and ketone body levels typical of well-nourished sheep. The lambs were killed at birth and whole body fat, moisture, nitrogen, Ca, P, Mg, Na and K contents determined. Further data was obtained on the brain, liver and semitendinosus muscle.Within the context of the experiment the most important factor in determining the mineral content of the lambs was the protein intake of the ewe, mainly due to its effect on lamb body weight. The mean Ca content of lambs from the control ewes was 47·8 g. By comparison that of lambs from the high and low protein groups was reduced by 4·9 and 12·9 g respectively.Calcium intakes as low as 27 mg/kg ewe body weight/day had no significant effect on lamb birth weight or mineral composition.The mean concentrations (g/kg) of minerals in the fat-free bodies of the lambs ranged from 12·1 to 14·6 for Ca, 6·6 to 7·4 for P, 0·49 to 006 for Mg and from 1·9 to 1·6 for K in the control and double deficiency groups respectively. It was concluded that these changes in lamb composition could be interpreted according to classical studies on the influence of undernutrition on the relative growth and development of animal tissues.The livers of the lambs, although significantly reduced in weight by the protein deficiency showed no evidence of being relatively more severely affected than muscle tissue.

Maintenance of Merino sheep fed varying protein roughages with or without supplements of chopped lucerne hay and wheat.

1967 ◽  
Vol 7 (26) ◽  
pp. 206 ◽  
Author(s):  
MC Franklin ◽  
P McInnes ◽  
PK Briggs
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Wheat Straw ◽  
Crude Protein ◽  
Experimental Period ◽  
High Protein ◽  
The Other ◽  
Wheat Grain ◽  
Merino Sheep ◽  
Low Protein ◽  
The Mean

Merino wethers of 30 months of age were hand-fed in pens on low-(chaffed wheaten straw), medium-(84 per cent chaffed wheaten straw; 16 per cent chopped lucerne hay), and high-protein roughage (chopped wheaten hay, or 67.5 per cent chaffed wheaten straw : 32.5 per cent chopped lucerne hay) alone, or supplemented with wheat grain at daily or twice-weekly intervals. The experimental period was 26 weeks and emphasis was placed on the number of survivors, changes in body weight, and mean daily roughage intake. Data were also collected on wool production. No sheep survived on the low-protein roughage (LPR-2.7 per cent crude protein (CP) ). Seven out of 16 sheep in the medium-protein roughage group (MPR-5.2 per cent CP) survived for 26 weeks ; six of these, however, died in the following four weeks. All sheep survived on the two high-protein roughage diets (HPR(1) and HPR(2)-7.6 per cent CP). The wheat supplement increased the number of survivors in the LPR and MPR groups. There was no difference between results from the daily and twice-weekly supplemented groups. Mean daily roughage intake of the unsupplemented sheep increased at each level of protein in the roughage. Mean intake of chaffed wheat straw when fed alone was 220 g per sheep per day. The intake of the same straw when fed with chopped lucerne hay increased by 120 g per sheep per day in the group fed MPR, and by 344 g in the group fed HPR(1). The wheat supplement did not increase intake within any roughage group. Roughage intake was significantly decreased on the HPR(2) diet when a wheat supplement was given. Sheep fed HPR(2) grew more clean wool than sheep in the other unsupplemented groups. Differences between mean clean wool weights of daily and twice-weekly supplemented groups within each roughage group were not significant, but differences between the mean pooled wool weights of each supplemented roughage group were significant.

Observations on the effect of protein intake and stage of gestation on the proportion of urinary nitrogen excreted as urea in sheep

1973 ◽  
Vol 80 (3) ◽  
pp. 363-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. J. Robinson ◽  
D. Scott ◽  
C. Fraser
Keyword(s):  
Protein Intake ◽  
Late Gestation ◽  
Direct Result ◽  
Ewe Lambs ◽  
Low Protein ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Pregnant Ewe ◽  
N Requirement ◽  
Urinary Nitrogen

SummaryThe effect of altering the level of protein intake on urea excretion in ewes was assessed in two separate experiments.In Expt 1, 14 pregnant (during the last 20 days of gestation) and 10 non-pregnant ewes were each offered a different level of digested N intake in the range 5–25 g/day. At all levels of protein intake urea N excretion was lower in pregnant than in nonpregnant ewes.In Expt 2, 21 pregnant ewe lambs were each offered one of three diets supplying mean intakes of 83 (T1), 113 (T2) or 147 (T3) g crude protein/day. During the last 100 days of gestation the mean levels of urea N excretion were 6·9, 11·0 and 15·2 g/day for T1, T 2 and T 3, respectively. The corresponding values for urinary N excretion were 9·3, 13·8 and 18·2 g/day. At all levels of protein intake urea N excretion was lower just prior to parturition than 95 days prepartum; the difference was correlated with lamb birth weight and maternal body-weight change.A notable feature of both experiments was the low level of urea N excretion by the pregnant ewes in late gestation, at low protein intakes. It would appear that when energy intake is adequate the decrease in urea N excretion associated with pregnancy is a direct result of an increased N requirement for maternal and/or foetal growth.

Digestion of food by the grazing sheep. II. The production of ammonia in the rumen

1964 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 397 ◽  
Author(s):  
JP Hogan
Keyword(s):  
Protein Intake ◽  
Crude Protein ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Grazing Sheep ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
Mean Concentration ◽  
Production Of Ammonia

High concentrations of ammonia have been found in the rumen in grazing sheep at all seasons of the year. It has been established that the mean concentration of ammonia sustained in the rumen during a 24 hr period depends on the crude protein intake. Other factors which may affect the production of ammonia in and its removal from the rumen are also discussed.

The digestion of two diets of differing protein content but with similar capacities to sustain wool growth

1967 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 973 ◽  
Author(s):  
JP Hogan ◽  
RH Weston
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Protein Content ◽  
Dietary Protein ◽  
Protein Intake ◽  
Crude Protein ◽  
Alimentary Tract ◽  
Soluble Carbohydrate ◽  
Cellulose Digestion ◽  
Low Protein ◽  
Wool Growth

Measurements were made of the digestion in sheep of two diets of differing protein content but known to support similar levels of wool growth. When offered to the sheep at 500 g/day, the high protein (HP) diet provided 13.8 g nitrogen (N), while the low protein (LP) diet provided 5.5 g. With the HP diet, approximately 8.8 g N in forms other than ammonia passed daily through the pylorus; 6.8 g of this N was apparently digested in the intestines. The corresponding values for the LP diet were 8.1 and 6.2. The similarity in wool growth recorded with these diets, despite large differences in dietary protein intake, is consistent with the hypothesis that wool growth is limited by the quantity of amino acid N absorbed from the alimentary tract. The stomach was the site of 72–73 % of the organic matter digestion and more than 90% of the cellulose digestion that occurred in the whole alimentary tract. In addition, approximately 90% of the dietary soluble carbohydrate was apparently digested in the stomach. It was calculated, by making several assumptions, that the quantity of microbial crude protein synthesized in the rumen did not exceed 44–49 g/day, equivalent to 15–16 g/100 g organic matter digested in the rumen. The implications of this calculation in the protein nutrition of ruminants are discussed. The retention time of a soluble marker in the rumen was 15–18 hr, and rates of flow of digesta from the rumen and abomasum were comparatively low.

Superovulation in the ewe: the effects of source of gonadotrophin, season, breed and age

1993 ◽  
Vol 1993 ◽  
pp. 59-59
Author(s):  
K. Fernie ◽  
W.S. Dingwall ◽  
W.A.C. McKelvey ◽  
J. FitzSimons
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Period ◽  
Embryo Transfer ◽  
Genetic Improvement ◽  
Ovulation Rate ◽  
Pituitary Extract ◽  
Multiple Ovulation ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Chemical Products ◽  
Different Sources ◽  
Potential Rate

The potential rate of genetic improvement which can be achieved in sheep through the use of multiple ovulation and embryo transfer (MOET) is limited by the great variation in the response of ewes to superovulation treatments. Factors which have been shown to influence natural ovulation rate in the ewe include season, breed, age and the administration of exogenous gonadotrophins from different sources. The following study was conducted to examine the effects of these factors on the response of ewes to superovulation treatments, with a view to increasing the mean ovulation rate and to concurrently decrease the between-ewe variability.During the course of 4 experiments a total of 170 ewes (Suffolk and Texel) were treated with 45mg progestagen-impregnated intravaginal pessaries (Chronogest: Intervet Laboratories Ltd.) for a period of 12 days. Sixteen ewes had no further treatment and were used as controls. The remaining 154 ewes, were treated with one of two exogenous gonadotropin preparations on days 10, 11, 12 and 13 of the progestagen treatment period (day 0 = pessary insertion). One group (n = 76) was treated with a porcine pituitary extract (pFSH) and the second (n = 78) with a highly purified ovine FSH (Ovagen: Immuno-Chemical Products).

The effect of nutrition on the reproductive performance of first-litter sows 4. The relative effects of energy and protein intakes during lactation on the performance of sows and their piglets

1986 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 319-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. H. King ◽  
A. C. Dunkin
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
Protein Intake ◽  
Crude Protein ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
High Protein ◽  
The Other ◽  
Subsequent Performance ◽  
Weight Losses ◽  
Low Protein ◽  
Moderate Energy

ABSTRACTEighty-eight first-litter sows were used in a factorial experiment to examine the effects of energy and protein intakes during lactation on subsequent performance. Some received either 45 MJ (E,) or 60 to 63 MJ (E2) digestible energy per day and either 508 to 511 (P,) or 703 to 815 (P2) g crude protein per day during a 28-day lactation.Sows on the E2P2 treatment lost less body weight during lactation than sows on the other three treatments (P < 0·05). Average live-weight losses during lactation were 21·8, 20·8, 17·8 and 9·6 kg for the E1P1, E1P2, E2P1, and E2P2 sows, respectively. The corresponding reductions in backfat measurements during lactation were 5·5, 7·9, 3·2 and 4·0 mm. Backfat losses were greater for sows given either moderate energy intakes or high protein intakes (P < 0·01).Neither protein intake nor energy intake during lactation affected subsequent ovulation rate, but piglets sucking sows given high protein intakes grew faster, particularly during the last week of lactation, than piglets sucking sows receiving low protein intakes (P < 0·05).Within 8 days of weaning, more sows given high intakes of protein during lactation exhibited oestrus than did sows which received lower intakes of protein (27/44 v. 14/44, x2 = 7·7, P < 0·01). Protein intake during lactation affected the nitrogen balance of sows in a similar way. The nitrogen balances were estimated during the 3rd week of lactation, and for sows given rations E1P1, E1P2, E2P1, and E2P2were -20·2, -11·5, -17·5 and -7·2 g/day respectively.

The influence of dietary protein intake on milk production and blood composition of high-yielding dairy cows

1976 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 357-369 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Treacher ◽  
W. Little ◽  
K. A. Collis ◽  
A. J. Stark
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Protein Intake ◽  
Agricultural Research ◽  
Energy Levels ◽  
High Protein ◽  
Agricultural Research Council ◽  
Low Protein ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Protein Group ◽  
The Mean

SummaryCows were fed either 75 or 100% of the recommended intake levels for protein and 100% of recommended energy levels (Agricultural Research Council, 1965) from 8 weeks pre-calving until 14 weeks post calving. From 14 weeks post calving and to the end of lactation all the cows received 100% of the recommended protein and energy intakes.The mean of the 305-d milk yields of the 2 groups was not significantly different and although cows on the lower protein intake produced less lactose during the first 14 weeks of lactation there was no significant difference in total lactose, fat, protein or total solids production between the groups. In both groups blood packed-cell volume, red cell count and haemoglobin decreased during the first 10 weeks of lactation and then began to increase in the high-protein group. The cows receiving the low-protein diet showed a similar increase only when they received the high-protein ration from 14 weeks post calving. The mean interval from calving to conception was 27·5 weeks in the high-protein group and 20 weeks in the low-protein group.It is concluded that feeding 75% of protein requirements to dairy cows during the first 14 weeks of lactation does not reduce milk yield or quality significantly and probably has no adverse effect on fertility.

Protein utilization and performance of early-weaned lambs

1972 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. R. Ørskov ◽  
P. J. Davies ◽  
I. A. Dickson ◽  
A. B. Humphries ◽  
W. Rutter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rates ◽  
Crude Protein ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Food Utilization ◽  
Lower Growth ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Low Protein ◽  
The Mean ◽  
And Performance

SUMMARY1. Groups of 12 male and 12 female lambs, early weaned and individually fed, were used at six centres in Great Britain to determine the effect of dietary protein concentration on growth rate and feed utilization from weaning to 37 kg live weight. Three diets varying in the proportion of rolled barley to white-fish meal were used to give 13·5, 16·0 or 18·5% crude protein in the dry matter. The diets were pelleted and offered ad libitum.2. The male lambs showed significantly poorer growth rates and feed conversions on the low-protein than on the other diets. Results for the females were more variable so that although the mean values showed similar trends these were not statistically significant.3. Female lambs had about 19% lower growth rates than male lambs. The mean food conversion (kg dry matter/kg gain) with the diet containing 16% crude protein was 2·67 for the males and 3·30 for the female lambs. Food utilization differed significantly between centres, the centres using lambs of Finn Dorset breeding having lower growth rates and poorer food utilization than Suffolk crosses.

Effects of phenobarbital, dietary protein intake, and ewe liveweight on ovulation rate and concentrations of plasma FSH and hepatic microsomal enzymes

1990 ◽  
Vol 2 (6) ◽  
pp. 623 ◽  
Author(s):  
JF Smith ◽  
E Payne ◽  
AJ Peterson ◽  
LT McGowan ◽  
B Cope ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dietary Protein ◽  
Protein Intake ◽  
Metabolic Changes ◽  
Ovulation Rate ◽  
Protein Diet ◽  
Dietary Protein Intake ◽  
Hepatic Enzyme ◽  
Microsomal Enzymes ◽  
Low Protein ◽  
Hepatic Microsomal Enzymes

Coopworth ewes were differentially fed from December 1985 to April 1986 to produce two liveweight classes: fat (55-60 kg) and thin (40-45 kg). The ewes were then fed on either high-protein (22%) or low-protein (12%) diets, with or without phenobarbital treatment for 10 days commencing on Day 7 of the oestrous cycle. Phenobarbital treatment caused an increase in ovulation rate that was most pronounced in thin ewes and those on the low-protein diet. Ewe liveweight produced an increase in ovulation rate, but increased dietary protein in the particular formulations used had no effect. Hepatic enzyme concentrations were increased by phenobarbital treatment and, to a lesser extent, by dietary protein intake and ewe liveweight. However, these metabolic changes and the increase in ovulation rate were not accompanied by interpretable changes in the plasma FSH concentrations.

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