Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-nr4z6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-05-08T00:33:32.147Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A note on nutrition during late pregnancy in West African Dwarf sheep

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

I. F. Adut  and
E. A. Olaloku
I. F. Adut
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
E. A. Olaloku
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
Get access

Abstract

Three groups, each of 12 West African Dwarf ewes weighing 17·5 kg at mating, had mean daily digestible organic matter intakes over the final 7 weeks of pregnancy of 249, 435 and 538 g/ewe (Treatments I, II and III respectively). Mean plasma concentrations in Treatments I, II and III were: glucose, 384, 527 and 538mg/l; non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), 672, 441 and 427 μequiv/1; and ketones, 44·1, 30·5 and 27·3 mg/1. The differences in all metabolites between Treatment I and Treatments II and III were significant (i) <0·001). The mean birth weights of the single lambs from ewes in Treatments I to III were 1·1, 1·7 and 1·8 kg, those from ewes in Treatment I being significantly lighter than those from ewes in Treatments II and III. Lamb birth weights were significantly and positively related to energy intake and to plasma glucose concentrations, and significantly and negatively related to plasma NEFA and ketone concentrations.

The results indicate that the effect of undernourishment during late pregnancy in West African Dwarf sheep may be greater than in European breeds, and that the concentrations of blood metabolites may have a use in monitoring and regulating nutritional state in this genotype.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 28 , Issue 1 , February 1979 , pp. 123 - 126
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1979

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Donald, H. P. and Russell, W. S. 1970. The relationship between live weight of ewe at mating and weight of newborn lamb. Anim. Prod. 12: 273–280.Google Scholar
Gutteridge, J. M. C. and Wright, E. B. 1968. A simple automated guaiacum glucose-oxidase method. J. med. Lab. Technol. 25: 385–386.Google ScholarPubMed
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland and Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland. 1975. Energy Allowances and Feeding Systems for Ruminants. Tech. Bull. No. 33. Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London.Google Scholar
Patterson, D. S. P. 1963. Some observations on the estimation of non-esterified fatty acid concentrations in cow and sheep plasma. Res. vet. Sci. 4: 230–237.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reid, R. L. 1960. The determination of ketone bodies in blood. Analyst, Lond. 85: 265–271.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robinson, J. J. 1977. The influence of maternal nutrition on ovine foetal growth. Proc. Nutr. Soc. 36: 9–16.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Russel, A. J. F. 1978. The use of measurements of energy status in pregnant ewes. In The Use of Blood Metabolites in Animal Production. Br. Soc. Anim. Prod. Occ. Publ. No. 1, pp. 31–39.Google Scholar
Russel, A. J. F., Doney, J. M. and Reid, R. L. 1967a. The use of biochemical parameters i n controlling nutritional state in pregnant ewes, and the effect of undernourishment during pregnancy on lamb birth-weight. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 68: 351–358.Google Scholar
Russel, A. J. F., Doney, J. M. and Reid, R. L. 1967b. Energy requirements of the pregnant ewe. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 68: 359–363.Google Scholar
Russel, A. J. F., Maxwell, T. J., Sibbald, A. R. and McDonald, D. 1977. Relationships between energy intake, nutritional state and lamb birth weight in Greyface ewes. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 89: 667–673.CrossRefGoogle Scholar