Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2plfb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T19:13:29.274Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Feeding British rapeseed meals to pregnant and lactating ewes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

Isobel C. Vincent ,
H. Ll. Williams  and
R. Hill
Isobel C. Vincent
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry, Royal Veterinary College, Boltons Park, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire EN6 1NB
H. Ll. Williams
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry, Royal Veterinary College, Boltons Park, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire EN6 1NB
R. Hill
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry, Royal Veterinary College, Boltons Park, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire EN6 1NB
Get access

Abstract

Three types of high glucosinolate British rapeseed meal (RSM) — extracted, expeller and extruded — were incorporated in ewe diets at 200 g/kg; soya-bean meal (SBM) at 165 g/kg replaced RSM in a control diet. Eighty housed Suffolk-Mule ewes were divided into four equal groups and given one of four diets, A (control SBM), B (extracted RSM), C (expeller RSM) or D (extruded RSM) for one reproductive cycle. Diets A and B were compared for a second season. The ewes were given a maximum of 2·5 kg diet per day during lactation. Barley straw was available ad libitum. The ewes were mated in November and December. Lambs were weaned at 42 days of age; they were given creep food similar in composition to their dams' lactation diets.

There were no dietary effects on ewes in overall health, live weight, oestrous activity, conception, number of lambs born alive or lamb birth weights. A mean of 1·6 lambs were weaned per ewe mated and 58% of these were twins, in year 1. In year 2, 1·8 lambs were reared and 79% were twins. The mean milk yield over the first 4 weeks of lactation was 3·2 1 and there were no significant dietary effects. Fat concentration in milk was very variable, but in general was slightly depressed by the RSM diets, significantly so at three sampling dates. Protein concentration was consistently lower in milk from RSM than SBM groups, significantly lower at four of the weekly samplings. Thiocyanate levels in plasma and milk were related to glucosinolate intake, but were not associated with any detrimental effects. At all sampling dates, values for RSM groups were significantly greater than for SBM ewes. Plasma thyroxine values were similar regardless of diet

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 47 , Issue 2 , October 1988 , pp. 283 - 289
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1988

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Agricultural Research Council. 1980. The Nutrient Requirements of Ruminant Livestock. Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux, Slough.Google Scholar
Bezeau, L. M., Slen, S. B. and Whiting, F. 1960. The nutritional value of rapeseed oil meal for lamb and wool production in mature range ewes. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 40: 37–43.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bowler, R. G. 1944. The determination of thiocyanate in blood serum. Biochemical Journal 38: 385–388.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Craig, E. A. and Draper, S. R. 1979. The glucosinolate content of oilseed rape varieties. Journal of the National Institute of Agricultural Botany 15: 98–103.Google Scholar
Hill, R. 1979. A review of the ‘toxic’ effects of rapeseed meals with observations on meal from improved varieties. British Veterinary Journal 135: 3–16.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Johnston, T. D. and Jones, D. I. H. 1966. Variations in the thiocyanate content of kale varieties. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 17: 70–71.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Laarveld, B., Brockman, R. P. and Christensen, D. A. 1981. The effects of Tower and Midas rapeseed meals on milk production and concentrations of goitrogens and iodide in milk. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 61: 131–139.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Madani, M. O. K. 1980. The effects of contrasting light environments on reproductive function in sheep. Ph.D Thesis, University of London.Google Scholar
Meat and Livestock Commission. 1981. Feeding the Ewe. Meat and Livestock Commission, Bletchley.Google Scholar
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. 1976. Nutrient allowances and composition of feedingstuffs for ruminants. Booklet 2087. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Pinner.Google Scholar
Peart, J. N. 1968a. Lactation studies with Blackface ewes and their lambs. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 70: 87–94.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peart, J. N. 1968b. Some effects of live weight and body condition on the milk production of Blackface ewes. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 70: 331–338.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thomke, S. 1981. Review of rapeseed meal in animal nutrition: ruminant animals. Journal of American Oil Chemists' Society 58: 805–810.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vincent, I. C., Hill, R. and Williams, H. Ll. 1988. Rapeseed meal in the diet of pubertal heifers during early pregnancy. Animal Production 47: 39–44.Google Scholar