Influence of dry period length on reproductive performance and productivity of Lacaune dairy sheep under an intensive management system

Hernández, Fernando; Elvira, Laura Ruiz de; Gonzalez-Martin, Juan-Vicente; Astiz, Susana

doi:10.1017/s0022029912000337

Cited by 10 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Our data suggests even higher IgG concentration can be achieved in colostrum if PDP is prolonged beyond 90 d, but this is not advisable for production. Taken together, our results support the conclusion of Hernandez et al (2012) that a 30 d prepartum is the most appropriate drying period for milk production in Lacaune ewes reared under intensive conditions.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 92%

Identification of factors affecting colostrum quality of dairy Lacaune ewes assessed with the Brix refractometer

Torres-Rovira¹,

Pesántez-Pacheco

Hernández³

et al. 2017

Journal of Dairy Research

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In this Research Communication we assessed factors affecting colostrum quality of dairy Lacaune ewes using the Brix-refractometer. Colostrum from 536 lambings from one commercial intensive dairy Lacaune farm were analysed for the following factors with potential influence in colostrum quality: (1) ewe parity (n = 84-132), (2) length of previous dry period (PDP) (n = 23-214), (3) age at first lambing (AFL) of primiparous ewes (n = 9-88), (4) lambing season (n = 192 or 344), and (5) year (2011-2013, n = 142-203). Parity significantly affected colostrum quality, with primiparous ewes showing the highest Brix refractometer values (22·6 ± 5·6%, P < 0·0001), though values were similar among multiparous ewes. PDP length also significantly affected colostrum quality: ewes with the shortest PDP showed the worst quality (16·8 ± 4·2%, P < 0·0001), with quality gradually rising with PDP length. Colostrum quality was significantly higher in 2011 (21·0 ± 5·2%) than in 2012 or 2013 (P < 0·0001); this likely reflects the several-fold greater proportion of animals with long PDP in 2011. In contrast, neither AFL nor lambing season significantly affected colostrum quality. These results suggest that parity and PDP length can substantially affect ovine colostrum quality of dairy ewes under intensive management conditions and they further show the usefulness of the Brix refractometer for providing a rough estimation of colostrum quality on-farm. However, further studies are needed to determine a validated cut-off Brix value for identifying good-quality colostra in ovine species.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 92%

Identification of factors affecting colostrum quality of dairy Lacaune ewes assessed with the Brix refractometer

Torres-Rovira¹,

Pesántez-Pacheco

Hernández³

et al. 2017

Journal of Dairy Research

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“…However, it should be noted that those that dried up spontaneously (and therefore had a shortened dry period between 23 and 31 d) had no difference in milk production compared with goats with the 56-d dry period. In sheep, a large-scale retrospective study has demonstrated that dry periods shorter than 30 d are detrimental to milk production in the next lactation (Hernandez et al, 2012). However, controlled work is required to disentangle the effects of dry period length from the variability in management practices common in a commercial setting.…”

Section: Dry Period Length and Omission: Effect On Milk Productionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, although a substantive body of work is now available on the effects of dry period length on dairy cows, research is minimal in small ruminants. A 5-yr longitudinal examination of 6,762 lactations on one farm resulted in a broad recommendation of a 30-to 60-d dry period being appropriate for sheep (Hernandez et al, 2012). This dry period length was recommended based on milk yield and conception rate but did not consider effect on metabolic states.…”

Section: Dry Period Length and Omission: Effect On Negative Energy Bamentioning

confidence: 99%

Invited review: Cessation of lactation: Effects on animal welfare

Zobel

Weary

Leslie

et al. 2015

Journal of Dairy Science

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The forced cessation of milk production, or dry-off, is a routine management practice in dairy cattle, sheep, and goats. This practice initiates a dry period, during which the animal is not milked. Milking begins again after parturition. Most of the literature on the dry period has focused on how various drying-off strategies affect milk production and disease; little work to date has addressed how dry-off affects the overall welfare of the dairy animal. The first aim of this review was to present an overview of the importance of dry-off and how it is commonly achieved. Our review shows that much scientific progress has been made in improving health status between lactations. The second aim was to identify important gaps in the literature, of which 2 key research disparities have been identified. We find that much of the work to date has focused on cattle and very little research has examined dry-off in dairy sheep and goats. We also find a lack of research addressing how common dry-off methodologies affect animal welfare on more than just a biological level, regardless of species.

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“…Longer initial dry periods have been shown to reduce yield and length of subsequent lactation periods as well as leading to poor health in cows, Chilean sheep and Lacaune sheep (Natzke et al 1975;Pinedo et al 2011;Hernandez et al 2012). However, we did not observe such effects in the present study, suggesting that the positive effects of antibiotic dry therapy can outweigh the potential negative effects due to longer initial dry periods.…”

mentioning

confidence: 98%

“…In addition, previous studies of this therapy in dairy sheep have not examined in detail the various factors that may influence its success, such as dry period length, which can be crucial for subsequent milk yield (Hernandez et al 2012). These investigations are particularly important for optimising production while minimising antibiotic use.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of intramammary antibiotic therapy during the dry period on the performance of Lacaune dairy sheep under intensive management

Hernández¹,

Elvira²,

Fernández³

et al. 2014

Journal of Dairy Research

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Often the only way to ensure profitability of Lacaune dairy sheep is intensive management, which requires appropriate dry-period treatment to ensure animal productivity and health. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of intramammary antibiotic dry therapy on the performance and health of Lacaune sheep under intensive management. We recorded data for 5981 complete lactation periods that followed a dry period. A total of 2402 lactation periods were preceded by a dry period involving intramammary administration of 300 mg of cephapirin benzathine (antibiotic group) and 3579 lactation periods were preceded by dry periods with no treatment (control group). The following on-farm yield data were collected for individual lactation periods: length of the subsequent lactation period; total milk yield per lactation period; daily milk yield and length of the subsequent dry period. Data on confounding factors that might affect productivity were also recorded, including the individual ewe, number of lactation periods and length of the previous dry period. Milk quality was assessed using data on somatic cell count (SCC) and content of protein and fat taken from the Spanish National Official Milk Yield Recording System. Antibiotic dry therapy significantly improved total yield per lactation period, which was 429±151·1 l in the antibiotic group and 412±165·5 l in the control group, as well as the daily milk yield, which was 1986±497·0 and 1851±543·2 ml/d, respectively (both P<0·0001). The initial dry period was significantly longer in the antibiotic group than in the control group, and dry period length correlated inversely with yield variables such us total yield per lactation period (r=-0·055; P<0·0001) and yield per day in milk (r=-0·039; P<0·0001). As a result, milk yield records systematically underestimated the positive effects of antibiotic dry therapy. Antibiotic dry therapy also significantly improved milk quality. Milk from the antibiotic group showed 50% lower SCC (573±1326 vs. 1022±2126 cells/ml; P<0·0001) and slightly higher content in fat (7·33±0·91 vs. 7·15±0·87%) and protein (5·63±0·44 vs. 5·44±0·4%). The results of this study suggest that cephalosporin dry therapy of Lacaune dairy sheep increases milk production and improves milk quality during subsequent lactation periods.

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Influence of dry period length on reproductive performance and productivity of Lacaune dairy sheep under an intensive management system

Cited by 10 publications

References 32 publications

Identification of factors affecting colostrum quality of dairy Lacaune ewes assessed with the Brix refractometer

Identification of factors affecting colostrum quality of dairy Lacaune ewes assessed with the Brix refractometer

Invited review: Cessation of lactation: Effects on animal welfare

Effects of intramammary antibiotic therapy during the dry period on the performance of Lacaune dairy sheep under intensive management

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