Lamb and milk production from Booroola ewes supplemented in late pregnancy

1992 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 587 ◽  
Author(s):  
DG Hall ◽  
LR Piper ◽  
AR Egan ◽  
BM Bindon
Keyword(s):  
Birth Weight ◽  
Treatment Period ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
The Other ◽  
Serum Immunoglobulin ◽  
Main Experiment ◽  
Fat Score ◽  
Low Serum

Booroola ewes in moderate body condition on pasture, were either not supplemented, or supplemented prior to parturition with lupin grain for 9 days in a preliminary experiment, or with lupin or oat grain for 17 days in the main experiment. Measurements included lamb birth weight and survival and, in the main experiment only, ewe milk production and lamb immunoglobulin concentrations. With 9 days of lupin grain supplementation, lamb survival to weaning increased by about 12% (P<0.05), size of litter weaned increased from 1.26 to 1.52 (P<0.01) and lamb birth weight increased by about 0.2 kg (P<0.01). In the main experiment, supplementation with lupins resulted in 95% survival to day 9 of twin-born lambs, compared with 68% for lambs from control and oat-fed ewes (P<0.05). Extra lamb losses, due to starvation in the unsupplemented group, were matched by losses due to dystocia in the fed groups. Lamb birth weights, and ewe milk production and composition, were similar across treatments. During the feeding treatment period, only the lupin supplemented ewes maintained their fat score while the other ewes lost 0.5 of a fat score (P<0.01). Fewer (P<0.1) multiple-born lambs from lupin supplemented ewes had low serum immunoglobulin scores, indicating that the lupin supplement may have affected production or intake of colostrum.

scholarly journals 27 Defining a robust sow: swine nutrition perspective on reproduction and lactation

2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 13-13
Author(s):  
Joel M DeRouchey ◽  
Mike D Tokach ◽  
Robert D Goodband ◽  
Jason C Woodworth ◽  
Steve S Dritz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Birth Weight ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Fetal Growth ◽  
Feed Intake ◽  
Energy Requirement ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Mammary Development ◽  
Late Gestation ◽  
Embryo Survival

Abstract Improvements in modern sow prolificacy have markedly increased the number of pigs weaned, thus the ability of sows to provide nutrients to support fetal growth and milk production has been enhanced. The goals of the gestation nutrition program consist of meeting the nutrient requirements for maintenance and growth and for adequate conceptus development, while managing body condition. Early gestation represents the best opportunity for replenishing body reserves, whereas in late gestation, both estimated protein deposition and energy requirement are exponentially increased and directed towards fetal growth and mammary development. Increased feed intake after breeding has been presumed to be detrimental to embryo survival; however, data with modern line sows demonstrates to feed thin sows to recover body condition as quickly as possible while avoiding feed deprivation immediately after breeding. Importance of body condition scoring remains unchanged: feed thin sows to bring back to adequate body condition and prevent over-conditioned sows at farrowing. A recent meta-analysis showed increasing late gestation feed intake seems to modestly improve piglet birth weight by 28 g per piglet in gilts and sows. Also, recent findings in gestating sows suggest modern genotypes have improved feed efficiency and propensity for growth. Therefore, increasing energy intake during late gestation has a modest effect on piglet birth weight and a negative effect on stillborn rate. Historically, lactation catabolism impacted subsequent reproductive performance of sows, particularly in first-parity. However, contemporary sows appear to be increasingly resistant to the negative effects of lactational catabolism. Even so, continued emphasis on maximizing lactation feed intake is critical to support milk production and prevent excessive lean tissue mobilization. Research data suggests that ad libitum feeding and offering lactation diets during the wean-to-estrus interval is not needed. Modern genetic sow lines appear to be more robust from a nutritional perspective than in the past.

THE UNSOLVED PROBLEM OF KERNICTERUS IN THE SUSCEPTIBLE LOW BIRTH WEIGHT INFANT

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1972 ◽  
Vol 49 (5) ◽  
pp. 646-647 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerold F. Lucey
Keyword(s):  
Birth Weight ◽  
Low Birth Weight ◽  
Premature Infants ◽  
Exchange Transfusion ◽  
Unsolved Problem ◽  
The Other ◽  
Serum Concentrations ◽  
Low Birth Weight Infant ◽  
Low Serum

The article by Keenan, et al.1 in this issue of Pediatrics once again calls attention to the complex, frustrating problem of kernicterus associated with low serum concentrations of bilirubin in small sick premature infants. The new and important information contained in this article is the observation that despite the use of late phototherapy and exchange transfusion, kernicterus occurred in these four infants. Kernicterus has certainly occurred before in premature infants who have received exchange transfusions.2-6 But with regard to phototherapy, the results are open to two interpretations. One view will be that phototherapy is not effective. The other will be that it has only been shown here to be ineffective when used too late to expect any effect.

The effect of nutrition in mid pregnancy and ewe liveweight change on birth weight and management for lamb survival in highly fecund ewes

1992 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
NM Fogarty ◽  
DG Hall ◽  
PJ Holst
Keyword(s):  
Birth Weight ◽  
Treatment Period ◽  
Litter Size ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Gestation Length ◽  
Nutritional Treatment ◽  
Lamb Survival ◽  
Staple Strength ◽  
Fleece Weight

The effect of moderate undernutrition in mid pregnancy on lamb birth weight and survival of single- and multiple-bearing ewes is reported. A total of 1220 ewes of 3 crossbred types with different fecundity, Booroola Merino x Dorset (BD), Trangie Fertility Merino x Dorset (TD) and Border Leicester x Merino (BLM), were examined over 2 years. The treatments were low (L) and high (H) nutrition at pasture for 4 weeks from about day 75 of pregnancy. Ewe liveweight of the L group at the end of the treatments was 5 kg lower in 1984 and 8 kg lower in 1985 (P<0.01) than the H group. The differences were smaller by late pregnancy and post-lambing. The L treatment increased (P<0.01) birth weight by 0.16 kg in 1984 but had little effect in 1985. Litter size had the greatest effect on birth weight (P<0.01). Ewe crossbred type and lamb sex effects were also significant (P<0.01), although they tended to be reduced for higher order births. Nutritional treatment had no effect on gestation length. Ewe liveweight at joining and weight gains before and after the treatment period significantly affected birth weight and accounted for the large difference in birth weight between years (0.7 kg). Ewe weight gain during the treatment period in mid pregnancy had no significant effect on lamb birth weight. Nutritional treatment in mid pregnancy had no effect on lamb survival. Litter size significantly affected lamb survival, although inclusion of birth weight in the model reduced the effect. Weather conditions, as measured by chill index, significantly (P<0.01) affected lamb survival in 1984 but accounted for less variation in 1985 (P<0.05). Lamb survival for ewes was ranked BLM > TD > BD. Maximum survival was achieved at birth weights of 4-5 kg from BD and TD ewes and 5-6 kg from BLM ewes. The L treatment reduced (P<0.01) ewe greasy fleece weight by 0.15 kg but did not affect staple strength. Plasma glucose concentration at the end of treatment was lower (P<0.01) for L ewes, but there was no difference between L and H ewes in late pregnancy. Glucose declined with increasing fetal number. Plasma B-hydroxybutyrate concentration was lower for the H group than for L, and also for BLM than TD and BD ewes (P<0.01).

Pregnancy nutrition does not influence lamb liveweight in developmentally programmed ewes

2014 ◽  
Vol 54 (9) ◽  
pp. 1465 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. R. Kenyon ◽  
R. A. Corner-Thomas ◽  
S. W. Peterson ◽  
S. J. Pain ◽  
H. T. Blair
Keyword(s):  
Milk Production ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Maternal Nutrition ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Developmental Programming ◽  
Minor Effect ◽  
Nutritional Treatment ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
A Minor ◽  
Body Condition Scores

In sheep, maternal nutrition can affect the offspring’s milk production at its first lactation and the grand-offspring’s liveweight to weaning. However, this apparent developmental programming effect on milk production and grand-offspring liveweight has not persisted. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine if nutrition of the programmed ewe in mid- to late pregnancy affected this response. Developmentally programmed ewes (G1) that had been born from dams (G0) offered submaintenance, maintenance or ad libitum feeding levels from Day 21 to Day 50 of pregnancy and then either pregnancy maintenance or ad libitum to Day 140 were used for this study. These ewes were offered one of two pastoral-based pregnancy nutritional treatments (controlled vs unrestricted) from Day 76 of pregnancy until lambing. Pre- and post-herbage masses of the unrestricted treatment (2181 ± 47.6 and 1431 ± 24.6 kg DM/ha, respectively), were greater (P < 0.05) than the controlled treatment (1164 ± 31.6 and 819 ± 16.0 kg DM/ha, respectively). At Day 71 of pregnancy, there were no differences (P > 0.05) in G1 liveweight (70.2 ± 0.8 vs 70.3 ± 0.8 kg for controlled and unrestricted feeding, respectively), or body condition scores (2.5 ± 0.06 vs 2.5 ± 0.05) between pregnancy nutritional treatments. In late pregnancy, unrestricted G1 ewes were heavier (P < 0.05, 97.4 ± 1.0 vs 86.8 ± 1.0 kg) and had greater (P < 0.05) body condition scores (3.4 ± 0.06 vs 2.5 ± 0.06) and back-fat depths (8.0 ± 0.3 vs 5.9 ± 0.03 mm) than controlled nutritional treatment ewes. There were no interactions (P > 0.05) between grand-dam feeding levels and ewe nutritional treatment on lamb (G2) liveweights at birth or in lactation. This indicates that under the conditions of the present study, nutrition of the G1 ewe did not affect the expression of the developmental programming effect. Further studies might be warranted to determine the causes of this inconsistency in grand-offspring liveweight. Nutrition of the G1 ewe had a minor effect (P < 0.05) on G2 lamb birthweight and liveweight in early lactation but not (P > 0.05) in late lactation or on lamb survival. These findings indicate there is no little to no benefit to the lamb until weaning from offering ewes pre- and post-grazing masses above ~1200 and 800 kg DM/ha, respectively, in mid- to late pregnancy.

scholarly journals Intake of Spineless Cladodes of Opuntia ficus-indica During Late Pregnancy Improves Progeny Performance in Underfed Sheep

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 995 ◽  
Author(s):  
Venancio Cuevas Reyes ◽  
Francisco Santiago Hernandez ◽  
Manuel de Jesus Flores Najera ◽  
Juan Manuel Vazquez Garcia ◽  
Jorge Urrutia Morales ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Birth Weight ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
The Other ◽  
Protein Enrichment ◽  
Alfalfa Hay ◽  
Lamb Growth ◽  
Progeny Performance ◽  
Arid And Semiarid

The present study tested whether feeding ewes during the last third of pregnancy with cladodes of Opuntia (untreated or protein-enriched), as an alternative to alfalfa hay, would improve milk yield as well as the pre- and post-natal growth of their lambs. Sixty mature Rambouillet ewes and their progeny were randomly allocated among three nutritional treatments: (i) Control, fed alfalfa; (ii) Opuntia, fed untreated cladodes; (iii) E-Opuntia, fed protein-enriched cladodes (pre-treated with urea and ammonium sulphate). Birth weight did not differ among treatments (p > 0.05) but Control ewes produced more milk than both groups of Opuntia-fed ewes (p < 0.05). However, milk yield was not related to the growth of the progeny (p > 0.05) because lambs from E-Opuntia-fed ewes grew faster (p < 0.01) and were heavier at weaning (p < 0.05) than lambs from the other two groups. We conclude that Opuntia (with or without protein enrichment) can be used as an alternative to alfalfa hay for feeding ewes during the last third of pregnancy and therefore reduce production costs under extensive conditions in arid and semiarid regions. Moreover, protein-enriched Opuntia appears to improve postnatal lamb growth.

A comparison of chopped/un-chopped big bale silage, pit silage and hay when offered with concentrates to twin bearing ewes

1999 ◽  
Vol 1999 ◽  
pp. 129-129
Author(s):  
T.F. Crosby ◽  
P.J. Quinn ◽  
J.J. Callan ◽  
B. Flynn ◽  
J.V. O'Doherty ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Birth Weight ◽  
Sugar Beet ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Body Condition Score ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Gestation Length ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
Condition Score ◽  
Beet Pulp ◽  
Terminal Sire

Big bale silage has become increasingly popular on many livestock farms in Ireland yet there is limited information on its use for sheep. The objective of this experiment was to compare the effects of feeding chopped or unchopped big bale silage, pit silage and hay when supplemented with either a barley or a molassed sugar beet pulp based concentrate when fed to ewes in late pregnancy on feed intake, ewe weight and body condition score changes, gestation length, lamb birth weight and colostrum yield.Sixty four mature lowland cross ewes (8/treatment) were oestrus synchronised in October and mated to terminal sire breeds (Suffolk, Texel or Charollais). The ewes were housed, winter shorn and pregnancy scanned in December, following which twin bearing animals were allocated to a 4 x 2 factorial experiment and individually fed either un-chopped or chopped big bale silage which had been wilted for 36-48 hours as is usual for this type of forage, pit silage, which had been wilted for 18-24 hours or hay.

Effect of nutrition of dairy cows in late pregnancy on milk production

1979 ◽  
Vol 19 (96) ◽  
pp. 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
GL Rogers ◽  
C Grainger ◽  
DF Earle
Keyword(s):  
Milk Production ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Milk Fat ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Grazing Management ◽  
Dry Period ◽  
Dairy Farmers ◽  
The Third ◽  
Similar Body

Three experiments were carried out to examine the separate effects of rate of liveweight gain in late pregnancy and of body weight of cows at calving on subsequent milk production. In each experiment, cows were allocated to one of two treatments about 12 weeks before calving. They were then fed so that by six weeks before calving there was a difference of about 50 kg liveweight between the animals in the two groups. In the first experiment, the two groups were then fed to gain weight at either 1.0 or 0.5 kg day-l so as to calve in similar body condition. In the second experiment, the two groups were fed to gain 1.5 kg day-1 or maintain weight so that again they calved in similar condition. In the third experiment both groups had similar rates of liveweight gain, 0.7 kg day-1 in the last six weeks of pregnancy, so that there was a difference of 51 kg at calving. In the first two experiments there were no differences due to the contrasting pre-calving nutrition in the milk production of the two groups, but in the third experiment the cows calving with the heavier body condition had a 7% greater milk yield and a higher milk fat concentration in the first 100 days of lactation. The results demonstrate that body condition of cows at calving is the important factor affecting milk production and that liveweight trends per se prior to calving were unimportant in influencing subsequent milk production. These findings offer dairy farmers alternative choices of feeding and grazing management strategies to improve cow condition at any stage during the dry period.

scholarly journals The analysis of the milk production and the body condition on two Saanen goat-farms

2009 ◽  
pp. 53-59
Author(s):  
Myrtill Kocsisné Gráff ◽  
András Jávor ◽  
Sándor Kukovics
Keyword(s):  
Milk Production ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Body Condition Score ◽  
The Body ◽  
The Other ◽  
Saanen Goat ◽  
Condition Score ◽  
Two Parameters ◽  
Production Change ◽  
Body Condition Scores

The authors carried out an examination on two Saanen goat farms during four months from May to August 2008. The body condition score and milk production of the goats were measured. In data processing analysis of variance was used to compare the data of the studied farms. They tried to find the answer for the question how the body condition scores and milk production change in each month. The changes observed in each farm were examined separately then they compared the values of the two farms.. On one of the farms the nutrition was proper therefore with an ideal, intermediate body condition (average 2.73) the goats produced a good amount of milk (2.5 milk-kg/mother/day). On the other farm the nutrition was not proper, therefore the body condition of the goats was weak (average 1.88). Their milk production decreased significantly from month to month (average 2.35 milk-kg/mother/day). The authors could conclude considering both farms that the more milk the goats produced, the lower their body condition score became. The two parameters showed negative correlation.

Nutritional needs of cattle in the hills and uplands

1985 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 55-66
Author(s):  
A. J. F. Russel ◽  
P. J. Broadbent
Keyword(s):  
Milk Production ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
Body Condition Score ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Beef Cows ◽  
Traditional Practice ◽  
Body Reserves ◽  
Condition Score ◽  
Summer Grazing

AbstractSystems of management of beef cows in the hills and uplands seek to make use of the cow's ability to utilise body tissue to maintain production during periods of undernutrition in winter and to replenish body reserves from relatively inexpensive summer grazing.In spring-calving cows, the periods of winter undernutrition occur during late pregnancy and the early months of lactation. On upland farms, cows with adequate body reserves (condition score 3.5) at the beginning of winter, fed less than 50 MJ ME per day during the final 3 months of gestation and 70 MJ ME per day during the first 2 months of lactation, will lose about 1.5 units of body condition but such a regime will not necessarily result in biologically significant production penalties. Fertilised ryegrass swards maintained at 8 cm sward surface height during the grazing season will support levels of milk production of around 11 kg per day, calf growth rates of the order of 1.2 kg per day and allow full recovery of cow body weight and condition. In hill herds, the magnitude of losses in weight and condition over winter must be restricted to the extent of the recovery which the quality of summer grazing will support.Similar considerations apply in autumn-calving herds, where the greater part or all of lactation coincides with the period of winter feeding. Cows calving at a body condition score of 3.0 can be fed 75 MJ ME per day from before to one month after mating without prejudicing reproductive performance, and 60-65 MJ ME per day from then until turnout. Where good quality pasture is available, milk production will increase from around 5 to more than 9 kg per day following turnout, calf performance will be enhanced by delaying weaning and cows will recover in full the weight and condition lost during winter. In the hill situation, calves may require to be weaned at turnout if full cow recovery is to be achieved.Studies on the nutrition of the weaned suckled calf indicate that a policy of feeding weaned calves inexpensively during winter to gain between 0.3 and 0.5 kg per day may constitute a viable alternative to the traditional practice of selling calves in the autumn. Such animals will achieve significantly higher growth rates at pasture in the following summer than calves fed more generously and gaining weight more rapidly during winter.On some hill farms where opportunities for the conservation of winter fodder are limited but where there is plentiful summer grazing, a system of June calving followed by a short lactation, and in which calves are only very moderately fed over winter, merits consideration.The areas in which further research is most urgently required to effect significant improvements in efficiency are those concerned with the relationship between nutrition and reproductive efficiency and the induction of twinning in cows.

Energy supplementation of silage for ewes in late pregnancy

1972 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Sheehan ◽  
M. J. Lawlor
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Birth Weight ◽  
Important Determinant ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
The Other ◽  
Subsequent Performance ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Medium Quality ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Energy Supplementation

SUMMARY1. Four groups of 20 ewes were individually fed in late pregnancy on: (1) silage ad libitum, (2) silage ad libitum and 12 kg rolled barley, (3) silage ad libitum and 23 kg rolled barley, (4) pelleted milled dried grass ad libitum. The concentrate was offered on a rising plane over the last 6 weeks of pregnancy. After parturition the ewes and lambs were put on spring pasture.2. The intake of silage by twin-bearing ewes fell slightly but nonsignificantly during week 16 of pregnancy but thereafter remained steady up to lambing. There was no other decline in intake on any of the treatments. Barley, however, significantly depressed silage intake when the quantity was increased above 282 g per day.3. Single-bearing ewes, except those on treatment 1, gained in net body weight during late pregnancy. Twin-bearing ewes on treatment 4 gained in net body weight while those on the other treatments lost weight.4. Birth weights of single lambs from ewes on treatment 1 were significantly lower than those from treatment 3. This was the only significant difference in birth weight or subsequent growth rates of single lambs. Birth weights of twin lambs on treatment 1 were significantly lower than those on the other treatments.5. The birth weight of twin lambs appeared to be an important determinant of subsequent performance, and may thus be a valuable criterion of the adequacy of the ewe's diet in late pregnancy.6. With medium-quality autumn silages, 12 kg of barley given during late pregnancy is sufficient to ensure good reproductive performance in ewes.

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