Winter shearing of ewes has been shown to reduce the incidence of hypoglycaemia in twin bearing ewes (Symonds et al, 1986), increase litter birthweight and reduce lamb mortality especially in housed conditions (Austin. 1982. Vipond et al, 1987). It is however not clear if winter shearing effects lamb birth weight independently of nutrient intake or reflects solely an increase in the intake of nutrients in late pregnancy. The aim of the experiment was to study the interaction between changing the source of energy in the concentrate given in late pregnancy and winter shearing in multiparous ewes.
Fishmeal has been considered for many years an important component of the diet of pregnant and lactating ewes (Hovell and Ørskov, 1989). Recently concerns have been raised over adverse effects of industrial fishing on fish stocks (House of Lords, 1996) and use of animal protein in ruminant diets (GAFTA, 1997). Alternative sources of protein (vegetable sources) to fishmeal have been proposed but they are either expensive or lacking in supply of essential amino acids. The research reported in this paper examines the performance of an alternative protein source to fishmeal given in late pregnancy to ewes bearing multiple offspring and as a creep feed to lambs.
Maize silage is a popular feed for dairy and beef cattle in the United Kingdom, but its popularity for sheep production has never been great. Several reasons for the lack of interest in maize silage for ewes and lambs have been cited; the growth of an annual crop for silage on holdings with a predominance of long-term leys, the low requirement of ewes and lambs for conserved feed, the possibility of low voluntary DM intakes and the risk of a high degree of selection of dietary components of the diet (Brown and Thomas, 1989). The research reported here examines the use of maize silage for ewes in late pregnancy and early lactation.
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