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Reproductive performance and protein utilization in pregnancy of sheep conceiving at eight months of age

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

J. J. Robinson ,
C. Fraser ,
Elizabeth L. Corse  and
J. C. Gill
J. J. Robinson
Affiliation:
The Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen, AB2 9SB
C. Fraser
Affiliation:
The Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen, AB2 9SB
Elizabeth L. Corse
Affiliation:
The Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen, AB2 9SB
J. C. Gill
Affiliation:
The Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen, AB2 9SB
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Summary

Twenty-one Finnish Landrace × Polled Dorset Horn female sheep approximating 8 months old were individually penned from 3 to 4 weeks after mating until parturition. They were allocated to one of three diets containing either 12·3, 14·1 or 16·5% crude protein and 2·1 Meal metabolizable energy per kg dry matter, offered at a level of 85 g/kg W0·75 per day. A series of nitrogen balance trials was carried out on all lambs during the last 100 days of gestation.

The mean age at parturition was 382 days and the mean litter size 1·52. The live-weight gain (mean value 152 g/day) was not significantly affected by the level of protein intake. There was a tendency (005 < P < 0·10 for singletons) for lamb birth weight to decrease and the body-weight change of the dam to increase with increasing protein concentration in the diet. There was a significant linear increase in nitrogen retention both with stage of gestation and level of protein intake.

The partition of nitrogen between the foetal and maternal body is discussed in relation to the estimated nitrogen content of the maternal live-weight gain.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 13 , Issue 4 , November 1971 , pp. 653 - 660
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1971

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References

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