Effect of Diet on Milk Yield of the Ewe and Growth of her Lamb

Thomson, William; Thomson, A. M.

doi:10.1079/bjn19530032

Cited by 49 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Birth weight of lambs was most affected by level of nutrition in late pregnancy as has been observed by Thomson and Thomson (1953) and others. An interaction exists where L-lambs were heavier than H-lambs, probably as a result of the L-ewes gaining more weight in late pregnancy.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 59%

Nutrition of the pregnant ewe and its effect on gestation length, lamb birth weight and lamb survival

Holst¹,

Killeen²,

Cullis³

1986

Aust. J. Agric. Res.

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The nutrition of grazing, pregnant crossbred ewes was managed so that from 6-15 and from 15-20 weeks of pregnancy, ewes were offered either high (H) or low (L) quality and quantity of nutrition as provided by pasture. At one week prior to parturition, the ewes in each of the four treatment groups (HH, HL, LH, LL) were then placed onto good pasture for lambing.Differential nutrition during pregnancy significantly affected gestation length of the ewes, with HH ewes having the shortest gestation. By day 148, 1.6 times more HH ewes had lambed compared with the LL group ewes.Significant differences were observed in lamb birth weight5 with nutrition in the last trimester (15-20 weeks) having a greater influence on birth weight. This was particularly so for twins. There was no significant difference in the survival of the single lambs, but for twin lambs survival was lowest with the LL ewes.These results show the consequences of maintaining or altering nutrition of single-and twin-bearing ewes during pregnancy. Birth weight of twin-born lambs was most responsive. Apart from lambs of the L L group ewes, the weaning weights of surviving lambs were largely unaffected by prenatal nutrition t o one week prepartum.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 59%

Nutrition of the pregnant ewe and its effect on gestation length, lamb birth weight and lamb survival

Holst¹,

Killeen²,

Cullis³

1986

Aust. J. Agric. Res.

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“…This explanation is supported by the work of Thomson and Thomson (1953) in which ewes were allowed to lose weight in late pregnancy. However, there would appear to be some carry-over effect into lactation from the low plane of feeding in pregnancy, since the milk yields of the LH ewes were lower than those of the MH or HH groups, and the LM + LH yields were significantly lower than the MM + MH or HM + HH yields.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 80%

Effects of plane of nutrition in late pregnancy on lamb birth weight and milk yield in early lactation of Chios and Awassi sheep

1974

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Two trials were conducted using two breeds of sheep varying in prolificacy but producing high commercial milk yields. In the first, 85 Chios ewes were assigned at 10 weeks before lambing to one of three planes of feeding: L, straw ad libitum; M, straw ad libitum + 0-5 kg concentrates; and H, straw ad libitum +1-0 kg concentrates. Six weeks prior to lambing, treatment L was stopped and all 85 ewes were re-randomized to treatments M and H. They were kept on these treatments until 14 days after lambing. In the second trial, 54 Chios and 56 Awassi ewes were allocated to the M and H treatments 6 weeks prior to lambing. After lambing they were fed ad libitum on straw and concentrates for 28 days. The mean metabolizable energy intake (Meal/day) over the 6-week period before lambing was 2-78 and 3-96 for Chios ewes in Trial 1, 2-39 and 3-51 for Chios ewes in Trial 2 and 2-66 and 3-72 for Awassi ewes in Trial 2, for the M and H treatments respectively. In both trials the treatment of the ewes affected the birth v/eight of twin and triplet lambs but not that of singles. In Trial 1, the differences in 14-day milk yield between treatments M and H were highly significant. In Trial 2, however, in which the ewes were fed ad libitum during lactation, no differences in the 14-day or the 28-day milk yields were observed for either breed. It is concluded that milk yields in early lactation are closely related to actual plane of nutrition in lactation but may also be affected by the body condition of the ewe at lambing, which may in turn be influenced by a low level of feeding in pregnancy.

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“…These combined findings suggest that there may be an advantage in offering triplet-bearing ewes a concentrate supplement in late pregnancy. Poor ewe nutrition and body condition in late pregnancy can result in; delayed colostrum let down, poor quality colostrum, lower milk yield and poor maternal behaviour (Thompson and Thompson, 1953;McCance and Alexander, 1959;McDonald, 1962;Mellor and Murray, 1985;Bizelis et al, 2000;Dwyer et al, 2003) all of which would be expected to reduce lamb survival. Mellor (1983) and Dwyer et al (2005) both reported a positive relationship between placental weight and birthweight.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

The body composition and metabolic status of twin- and triplet-bearing ewes and their fetuses in late pregnancy

Kenyon¹,

Stafford²,

Jenkinson³

et al. 2007

Livestock Science

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Effect of Diet on Milk Yield of the Ewe and Growth of her Lamb

Cited by 49 publications

References 4 publications

Nutrition of the pregnant ewe and its effect on gestation length, lamb birth weight and lamb survival

Nutrition of the pregnant ewe and its effect on gestation length, lamb birth weight and lamb survival

Effects of plane of nutrition in late pregnancy on lamb birth weight and milk yield in early lactation of Chios and Awassi sheep

The body composition and metabolic status of twin- and triplet-bearing ewes and their fetuses in late pregnancy

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