The effect of diet in late pregnancy on colostrum production and immunoglobulin absorption in sheep

Abstract

One hundred and twenty-six twin-bearing ewes were given either formic acid (FA) treated grass silage or grass/ molassed sugar-beet pulp (MSBP) silage in order to investigate factors affecting colostrum yield and quality and the efficiency of immunoglobulin (IgG) absorption. The experiment commenced on day 91 of pregnancy and the diets consisted ofFA-treated silage (Tl), FA-treated silage + soya-bean meal (SB) (72), MSBP silage (T3), MSBP silage + SB (T4), FA-treated silage + MSBP (T5), FA-treated silage + MSBP + SB (T6) or FA-treated silage + 150 g/kg of a crude protein concentrate (T7). Soya-bean meal was offered only in the last 3 weeks of pregnancy aiming for a total crude protein intake of220 g per ewe per day. Blood samples were taken from lambs in order to measure serum Ig concentrations. Ewes were milked at 1 h,10h and 18 h post lambing. Daily metabolizable energy intakes of 6·8, 11·4, 9·6, 12·8, 10·5, 13·7 and 14·7 (s.e. 0·58) M] per ewe were recorded for Tl to T7 respectively over the last 3 weeks of pregnancy. Respective crude protein intakes of 72, 213, 110, 225, 109, 215 and 175 (s.e. 5·64) g per ewe per day were recorded for Tl to T7 over the last 3 weeks of pregnancy. The addition of protein increased colostrum yield at 1 h (P < 0·01), 10 h (P < 0·01) and 18 h (P < 0·01) post lambing and total yield of colostrum to 18 h (P < 0·001). There was no significant response (P > 0·05) in colostrum production during the first 18 h following protein supplementation when the basic diet was FA-treated silage. There was no difference (P > 0·05) in colostrum production during the first 18 h between ewes offered MSBP treated silage or MSBP supplemented silage. Ewes offered FA-treated silage produced less colostrum during the first 18 h compared with ewes offered either MSBP treated or supplemented silage (P < 0·05). The production of colostral IgG during the first 18 h after parturition was related to the amount of colostrum produced; the greater the colostrum production the greater the Ig production. There was a significant quadratic relationship between the total amount of IgG ingested per kg lamb birth weight during the first 18 h and lamb serum IgG at 24 h (R2 = 0·4005; P < 0·0001). Lamb serum Ig level increased linearly with increasing colostrum IgG consumption up to 15 g/kg lamb birth weight. Proportionately about 0·17 of the IgG ingested was present in the lamb's circulation at 24 h. Ewe protein supplementation pre-lambing increased the lamb's efficiency to absorb colostral IgG (P < 0·05) during the first 24 h. In conclusion, the data show positive relationships between feeding regimes, colostrum production and IgG transfer.

The effects of cobalt and iodine supplementation of the pregnant ewe diet on immunoglobulin G, vitamin E, T3 and T4 levels in the progeny

“…There was wide variation in colostrum yield between ewes at 1, 10 and 18 h post partum, which is in agreement with the results previously reported (Pattinson et al, 1995;O'Doherty and Crosby, 1997a;Boland et al, 2004). Mineral supplementation has been shown to have inconsistent affects on colostrum yield, with yield at individual time points being altered but the overall yield to 18 h remaining unaffected Guinan et al, 2005).…”

“…Although the serum IgG concentration at 24 h in the I-1 lambs was significantly lower than in the C lambs, it was intermediate between the C and I-3 lambs, indicating that a supplementation period of more than 1 week is required to see the complete negative effects of high levels of iodine supplementation on lamb serum IgG concentration. The absorptive mechanism internally in the lamb does function at some reduced level, as despite serum IgG levels at 24 h being only a fraction of normal levels, they are much greater than levels recorded in lambs prior to colostrum feeding in this study and elsewhere (Hunter et al, 1977;O'Doherty and Crosby, 1997a). In all lambs, serum IgG levels declined from 24 to 72 h post partum, indicating that no further absorption of IgG from the colostrum occurred and in fact IgG clearance from the blood stream is already well underway at this stage.…”

“…The decrease in colostral IgG concentration from 1 to 18 h post partum coincides with a reduction in the ability of the lamb's small intestine to absorb IgG in the first 24 h after birth (Campbell et al, 1977) as a result of gut maturation (Parker and Nicol, 1990). The lower IgG concentrations in the I-1 treatment at 10 h post partum than all other treatments can be linked to their significantly lower DM intake, which consequently resulted in lower CP and it has been demonstrated that inadequate dietary protein intake has a negative impact on colostral IgG concentration (O'Doherty and Crosby, 1997a).…”

“…Thus, the newborn is virtually void of IgG and vitamin E at birth (Campbell et al, 1977;Njeru et al, 1994;O'Doherty and Crosby, 1997a), and therefore the transfer of IgG and vitamin E via the colostrum is of critical importance. Recent results have shown that mineral supplementation for just 2 weeks immediately prior to lambing has a deleterious effect on IgG absorption in the neonate (Guinan et al, 2005).…”

“…At birth, the serum of the lamb is virtually void of immunoglobulin G (IgG; O'Doherty and Crosby, 1997a) as the ovine placenta prevents the in utero transfer of maternal Ig's to the foetus (Gilbert et al, 1988). The lamb is reliant on the uptake of IgG, the main Ig in ovine colostrum (Smith et al, 1975), from colostrum to confer disease resistance in early life.…”