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The effects of offering a concentrate or grass silage based diet to single, twin and triplet-bearing ewes in late pregnancy on ewe performance

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 November 2017

T.M. Boland ,
L. Hayes ,
J.J. Murphy ,
P.J. Quinn  and
T.F. Crosby
T.M. Boland*
Affiliation:
University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
L. Hayes
Affiliation:
University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
J.J. Murphy
Affiliation:
University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
P.J. Quinn
Affiliation:
University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
T.F. Crosby
Affiliation:
University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
*
Email:tommy.boland@ucd.ie
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Extract

The nutrient requirements of ewes increase greatly during the final two months of gestation as a result of the rapid foetal growth (Robinson, 1990). Traditionally these nutritional requirements were met by feeding grass silage supplemented with concentrates (Sheehan et al., 1979). Intakes of silage by sheep are variable, dependant on a range of factors with silage digestibility of major importance (Sheehan, 1975). However, voluntary silage intakes have been reported to vary irrespective of quality (Sheehan and Fitzgerald, 1977). Alternatively, the energy requirements of the ewe during late pregnancy can be supplied by offering a complete concentrate diet (Sheehan, 1975). The objectives of this experiment were to compare the performance of single, twin and triplet-bearing ewes when offered either a concentrate diet or a silage based diet supplemented with concentrates, each offered at 90% of metabolizable energy requirements for maintenance and conceptus growth.

Type
Theatre Presentations
Information
Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science , Volume 2007 , April 2007 , pp. 120
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Science 2007

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References

Robinson, J.J. 1990. Nutrition over the winter period -the breeding female. In New developments in sheep production (ed. Slade, C.F.R. and Lawrence, T.J.L.). pp 55–70. British Society of Animal Production OP no. 14.Google Scholar
Sheehan, W. 1975. The energy requirements of twin bearing ewes in late pregnancy in an extensive system. Phd. thesis Trinity College Dublin.Google Scholar
Sheehan, W. and Fitzgerald, J.J. 1977. Effects of method of herbage conservation on performance of store lambs. Irish Journal of Agricultural Research 16:83–94.Google Scholar
Sheehan, W., Lawlor, M.J. and Bath, I.H. 1979. Silage intake in relation to the energy requirements of ewes in late pregnancy. Irish Journal of Agricultural Research 18: 97–103.Google Scholar