scholarly journals Potential for Fecundin to Influence the Reproductive Performance of Merino Ewes in Western Australia

1988 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 47 ◽  
Author(s):  
KP Croker ◽  
RI Cox ◽  
MA Johns ◽  
TJ Johnson ◽  
D Roberts ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adverse Effect ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
Early Lactation ◽  
Multiple Pregnancies ◽  
Ad Libitum

Four experiments were conducted at different locations in Western Australia to evaluate the effectiveness of immunizing young (maiden, 1 liz year old) and adult Merino ewes with Fecundin to improve their reproductive performances. The ovulation rates of immunized maiden ewes was increased (0�06-0�30) above that of untreated ewes in both experiments 1 and 2. However, there were no significant improvements in the marking percentages for the immunized ewes with the differences between the untreated and immunized ewes ranging from -16�4 to 5�8070. In comparison with untreated ewes immunization 6 and 2 weeks before the start of joining depressed ewe fertility by 26�1 % whereas immunization 8 and 4 weeks before the start of joining did not significantly affect fertility. The availability of oat grain ad libitum prior to parturition and during early lactation did not improve the survival of lambs born to immunized ewes. In experiments 3 and 4 immunization of adult Merino ewes increased their ovulation rates (0,41-0�63) above untreated controls and tended to increase the proportion of pregnant ewes which had multiple pregnancies (from -2�3 to 34�2%). The responses at the end of lambing were variable (from -19�8 to 37�5% lambs marked) with high lamb mortalities occurring in some experiments. There was no adverse effect on the reproductive performances following consecutive annual immunizations over 3 years and the absence of treatment for 1 year did not prevent a response in the following year.

The influence of vaccination with Fecundin and supplementation with lupin grain on the reproductive performance of Merino ewes in Western Australia

1990 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 469
Author(s):  
KP Croker ◽  
MA Johns ◽  
SH Bell ◽  
GA Brown ◽  
JF Wallace
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
Average Rate ◽  
Multiple Pregnancies ◽  
Wool Production ◽  
Rate Of Growth ◽  
Nutritional Conditions ◽  
Average Quantity

The reproductive performances of groups of 4-6-year-old medium wool Merino ewes that were vaccinated with Fecundin and/or fed sweet lupin grain prior to and during the early part of the joining period were compared with untreated ewes over 2 years. The rams were joined with the ewes in early January of each year. In both years the Fecundin and lupin treatments increased ovulation rates (between 0.13 and 0.56) and the incidence of multiple pregnancies (between 1 and 36%). The proportions of lambs born following treatment with Fecundin were larger than those from the ewes fed only lupins. When the treatments were combined, there were no increases in lambs born above that of Fecundin alone. Pregnancy significantly depressed wool production from individual ewes, while those with more than 1 lamb produced less wool than those with only 1 lamb. However, the average quantity (4.6 kg greasy) and quality of wool produced by the ewes each year was similar for all groups, indicating that the variation in the incidence of multiple pregnancies had not affected flock wool production. The average rate of growth of the progeny from marking to weaning was also similar for each group (191 and 238 g/head.day for years 1 and 2, respectively) even though there were more multiple-born lambs in the Fecundin-treated groups. On a flock basis, it would appear that the nutritional conditions experienced during this study were adequate to avoid significant penalties associated with multiple pregnancies.

PRELIMINARY EVALUATION OF THE ADDITION OF GLUCOGENIC MATERIALS TO THE RATIONS OF LACTATING COWS

1971 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 721-727 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. J. FISHER ◽  
J. D. ERFLE ◽  
F. D. SAUER
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Propylene Glycol ◽  
Milk Fat ◽  
Volatile Fatty Acids ◽  
Rumen Fluid ◽  
Preliminary Evaluation ◽  
Early Lactation ◽  
Lactating Cows ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Beta Hydroxybutyrate

Glutamate, succinate, propylene glycol, or glycerol were added to a basic concentrate at 3.3% of air-dry feed. Each concentrate was fed both ad libitum and in restricted amounts to four cows in early lactation. Dietary intake, milk yield and composition, molar proportions of rumen volatile fatty acids and blood glucose, ketones and plasma free fatty acids were used as criteria of effect of these supplements. Propylene glycol in the diet resulted in a lower intake of concentrate compared with glycerol (11.44 versus 14.30 kg/day) and significantly decreased (P < 0.05) rumen butyrate and plasma beta-hydroxybutyrate. Glutamate supplementation prevented the fall in milk fat content which occurred when the other three supplemented concentrates were fed ad libitum, and this effect may have been related to the constancy in the ratio of acetate to propionate in the rumen fluid.

The effects of nutrition on reproductive performance, lactation and carcass quality of once bred gilts

1995 ◽  
Vol 1995 ◽  
pp. 178-178
Author(s):  
A H Stewart ◽  
S A Edwards ◽  
V R Fowler
Keyword(s):  
Sugar Beet ◽  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
Feed Efficiency ◽  
Reproductive Physiology ◽  
Sugar Beet Pulp ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
Carcass Quality ◽  
Beet Pulp ◽  
Ad Libitum

The once bred gilt system of production has a number of benefits in terms of feed efficiency and welfare, however the system relies on the production of a quality carcass and acceptable reproductive performance. Previous studies have indicated that welfare might be improved if gilts were ad-libitum fed a diet containing 60% Sugar beet pulp (Stewart et al 1993). There was a suggestion however that reproductive physiology may be put at risk using such a diet. The objective of this experiment was to identify differences in reproductive performance using two different energy sources in gestation and to manipulate nutrition during lactation to study the effect on carcass quality.

Associations between early lactation milk protein concentrations and the intervals to calving for Holstein cows of differing parity

2017 ◽  
Vol 57 (10) ◽  
pp. 2100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack Fahey ◽  
John M. Morton ◽  
Martin J. Auldist ◽  
Keith L. Macmillan
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
Milk Protein ◽  
Holstein Cows ◽  
Breeding Period ◽  
Gestation Length ◽  
Calving Interval ◽  
Early Lactation ◽  
Average Interval ◽  
Lactating Dairy Cows

High milk protein concentrations (MP%) have been positively associated with the reproductive performance of lactating dairy cows. No studies have measured the effects of this association on subsequent calving dates in multiparous cows, nor assessed whether the underlying causal mechanisms are present in nulliparous heifers. Holstein cows (primiparous = 918; multiparous = 4242) were selected from herds that had seasonally concentrated calving patterns resulting from seasonally restricted breeding periods. In seasonally calving herds, the date of a herd’s planned start of calving (PSC date) is the average gestation length of 282 days after the date that the preceding breeding period commenced, so that the interval from the herd’s PSC date to each cow’s actual calving date (PSC-to-calving interval) primarily reflects the time to conception from the start of the breeding period in the previous year. This measure was used to compare associations between the average MP% during the first 120 days of lactation and time to the calving that initiated that lactation in primiparous and multiparous cows. Early lactation MP% was negatively associated with PSC-to-calving interval. A 1% difference in MP% was associated with an 8-day difference in the average PSC-to-calving interval in primiparous cows and a 31–35-day difference in the average interval in multiparous cows. The observed associations between early lactation MP% and PSC-to-calving interval are likely to involve determinants present during a cow’s breeding period that affect the probability of conception. Some of these determinants are not restricted to early lactation as the association between MP% and PSC-to-calving interval in primiparous cows is a reflection of the reproductive performance in nulliparous heifers at ~15 months of age.

509 Late-Breaking: Effect of a Sensory Additive on Sow Reproductive Performance

2021 ◽  
Vol 99 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 206-206
Author(s):  
Nathan Davis ◽  
Tsungcheng Tsia ◽  
Benjamin Bass ◽  
Gemma Tedo ◽  
Sofia Morais ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
Feed Intake ◽  
Random Effect ◽  
Body Weight Change ◽  
Lactation Performance ◽  
Thickness Change ◽  
Breaking Effect ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Sow Lactation ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The addition of a sensory additive to sow diets during the summer improved feed intake during lactation, and litter performance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the sensory additive on sow lactation performance during cooler temperatures. Three consecutive groups (n = 61 total) of sows were farrowed during winter (October, December and January). Sows were weighed, and back fat depth was measured, at 110 d of gestation prior to entering the lactation room, and again at weaning. The sows were sorted by parity, and then allotted by BW at d 110 to Control or 0.075% sensory additive (Luctamax® SowVive, Lucta S.A., Spain). Experimental diets were offered upon entry to the lactation room and fed through weaning. Feed disappearance was recorded every three days. Sows were fed 2.72 kg/head/day until farrowing, and then allowed to eat ad libitum from 24 hours post-farrowing until weaning. Data were analyzed using the PROC MIXED procedure of SAS as an RCBD with treatment as the fixed effect and group as a random effect. No differences were observed on sows feed intake (P &gt; 0.4), 10th rib backfat thickness change (P = 0.632) and body weight change from d 110 of gestation to weaning (P = 0.65, Table 1). Sows fed the sensory additive lowered preweaning mortality by 4.9% (P = 0.051), and weaned an additional 1.42 piglets (P = 0.026) with similar weaning weights (P = 0.86) when compared to control. In conclusion, in the current study, lactation diets supplemented with a sensory additive improved litter performance and helped maintain sow body condition.

Reproductive performance of heifers offered ad libitum or restricted access to feed for a one hundred forty-day period after weaning1

2009 ◽  
Vol 87 (9) ◽  
pp. 3043-3052 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Roberts ◽  
T. W. Geary ◽  
E. E. Grings ◽  
R. C. Waterman ◽  
M. D. MacNeil
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
Restricted Access ◽  
Ad Libitum

Influence of Different Levels of Dietary Energy on Performance of Double Suckled Cows and Calves

1986 ◽  
Vol 1986 ◽  
pp. 106-106
Author(s):  
M.A.S. Khan ◽  
J.H. Topps ◽  
P.J. Broadbent
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Good Condition ◽  
Beef Cows ◽  
Free Access ◽  
Dietary Energy ◽  
Early Lactation ◽  
Concentrate Mixture ◽  
Soyabean Meal ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Different Levels

The winter feeding of beef cows represents a high, proportion of the costs of calf production. Attempts to minimise cost include the use of beef (♂) x dairy cows (♀) which have the ability to suckle two calves and to mobilise body reserves during periods of underfeeding in early lactation. Khan and Topps (1985) observed that cows in good condition at calving could maintain milk production and raise two good calves when given 110 MJ ME/day in a diet which included a source of undegradable protein. Subsequently a preliminary experiment was carried out with three single suckled and nine double suckled cows to examine the effect of energy level on the performance of cows and calves.Three single suckled cows and nine double suckled cows i.e. six with a natural plus foster calf and three with twin calves produced by embryo transfer were used in this experiment. The levels of energy that were examined were 70 or 90, 80 or 100 and 90 or 110 MJ ME/day for single and double-suckled cows respectively, supplied in diets containing ammonia treated straw, barley and fishmeal. Nine of the cows were placed into trios according to calving date and age, with a trio consisting of a cow with a natural calf, a cow with a natural and foster calf, and a cow with twin calves. Each trio was allocated at random to one of the three levels of energy. Similarly, the remaining three cows with a natural and foster calf were allocated at random to 90, 100 or 110 MJ ME/day. The calves were given good quality hay ad libitum and free access to a concentrate mixture up to a maximum intake of 2 kg/head/day. The concentrate mixture consisted of (g/kg) 800 barley, 150 soyabean meal and 50 molassine meal. The experiment started on the 22nd day of lactation and was of 20 weeks duration for most of the cows.

A note on the effect of feeding regime on the performance of sows housed in a novel group-housing system

1989 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 523-526 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Carol Petherick ◽  
Judith K. Blackshaw
Keyword(s):  
Adverse Effects ◽  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
Housing System ◽  
Group Housing ◽  
Feeding Regime ◽  
Feeding Regimes ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Short Time ◽  
Effect Of Feeding ◽  
Food Trough

The effects on sow reproductive performance of three feeding regimes (ration (R), ad libitum (A) and ration + straw (R + S)), in conjunction with partial barriers placed along the food trough, were investigated. Three groups of four sows were put on the regimes, in a group-housing system, over three consecutive gestations. Each trial lasted 13 days and took place during the first half of the gestation period. Sows on A ate about three times the amount of food that was allocated to them on R and R + S (2 kg per sow per day). Feeding regime did not affect any of the measures of reproductive performance (numbers of piglets liveborn, stillborn, weaned, birth and weaning weights). Sows of parity 7 and over had significantly fewer liveborn and more stillborn piglets compared with parities 2 to 6 (P < 0·05). It is probable that no adverse effects of the feeding regimes were found due to the short time that the sows were on them and because multiparous animals were used. It is suggested that the welfare of ration-fed sows, whose appetite is not satiated, is jeopardized and that this problem may be solved by the provision of fibrous foodstuffs.

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