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Effect of CRYSTALYX® on the performance of breeding ewes in late pregnancy and post-lambing

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2017

A.S. Chaudhry*
Affiliation:
School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, University of Newcastle, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
C.J. Lister
Affiliation:
Caltech, Solway Mills, Silloth, Wigton, Cumbria. CA7 4AJ, UK
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Extract

Nutrient requirements of the pregnant ewe increase with stage of pregnancy and with expected litter size. Foetal growth takes place principally during the final 6 weeks of gestation. As uterine volume increases with growing foetal size, rumen volume is decreased due to a lack of abdominal space. This can cause a reduction in dry matter intake in late pregnancy as lambing approaches. Even the introduction of supplementary concentrates in late pregnancy cannot always provide sufficient nutrients to the multi-foetal ewe, resulting in mobilisation of maternal body energy reserves to maintain foetal growth. The provision of a high energy feed supplement, available on a self-help basis, allows ewes the opportunity to “top up” their nutrient intakes. This study examined the effect of feeding Extra High Energy CRYSTALYX® (feed lick), containing sugars, oil, protein and minerals, on an ad libitum self-help basis on the performance of housed ewes fed silage and concentrates in late pregnancy and post lambing. This paper reports the final part of a full gestation and post-lambing study, the first stage of which was reported by Chaudhry et al. (2003).

Type
Poster Presentations
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Science 2004

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References

Chaudhry, A.S, Lister, C.J. and Rowlinson, P. 2003. Effect of CRYSTALYX® on the performance of breeding ewes during first three months of pregnancy while grazing grass outdoors. Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science, York p 185.Google Scholar