Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-mwx4w Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-23T08:55:54.809Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Reducing the degree of protein scarcity rapidly increases immunity to nematodes in ewes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2017

J.G.M. Houdijk
Affiliation:
Animal Nutrition and Health Department, Scottish Agricultural College, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK
I. Kyriazakis
Affiliation:
Animal Nutrition and Health Department, Scottish Agricultural College, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK
F. Jackson
Affiliation:
Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik EH26 0PZ, UK
R.L. Coop
Affiliation:
Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik EH26 0PZ, UK
Get access

Extract

There is an increasing body of evidence to support the view that the periparturient breakdown of immunity to parasites has a nutritional basis; an increased supply of metabolizable protein (MP), at times of MP scarcity, would reduce gastrointestinal nematode egg excretion and worm burdens in periparturient ewes (Houdijk et al., 2001). However, the rate at which MP supply can improve expression of immunity to gastrointestinal nematodes is not known. The objective of this experiment is to assess this rate, which will be studied through reducing the degree of MP scarcity.

Type
ISAE
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Science 2003

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

AFRC, 1993. Energy and Protein Requirements of Ruminants. CAB International, Wallingford Google Scholar
Houdijk, J.G.M., Jessop, N.S. and Kyriazakis, I., 2001. Nutrient partitioning between reproductive and immune functions in animals. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 60: 515525.Google Scholar