Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-m6dg7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-03T05:37:16.734Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Influence of breed, birth weight and weather on the body temperature of newborn lambs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

A. R. Sykes ,
R. G. Griffiths  and
J. Slee
A. R. Sykes
Affiliation:
Moredun Research Institute, 408 Gilmerton Road, Edinburgh EH 17 7JH
R. G. Griffiths
Affiliation:
ARC Animal Breeding Research Organisation, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 33Q
J. Slee
Affiliation:
ARC Animal Breeding Research Organisation, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 33Q
Get access

Summary

The rectal temperature of 208 lambs of Scottish Blackface, Tasmanian Merino, Southdown, Cheviot, Soay and Finnish Landrace breeds was measured between 15 and 25 min after birth, and that of 94 lambs again 1 hr after birth. Relationships within breeds between rectal temperature and birth weight, weather (temperature and wind speed) and gestational age were examined.

Within the range of birth weights and weather encountered over a period of years Scottish Blackface, Cheviot and Soay breeds maintained homeothermy at birth. In contrast, the Merino and Finnish Landrace breeds, which had comparable birth weights to the Black-face and Soay respectively, showed significant reductions in body temperature sometimes exceeding 10°C in cold weather. The Southdowns also showed hypothermia. In the Merinos and Finns, 30 and 54% respectively of the variation in rectal temperature was accounted for by birth weight and weather.

Of those lambs with low rectal temperatures 20 min after birth, few showed any improvement after 1 hr. Merinos in cold weather showed the least tendency to recover.

Possible reasons for the different performance of the breeds and the implications for lamb survival are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 22 , Issue 3 , June 1976 , pp. 395 - 402
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1976

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

Alexander, G. 1961. Temperature regulation in the new-born lamb. III. Effect of environmental temperature on metabolic rate, body temperatures and respiratory quotient. Aust. J. agric. Res. 12: 1152–1174.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Alexander, G. 1962a. Temperature regulation in the new-born lamb. IV. The effect of wind and evaporation of water from the coat on metabolic rate and body temperature. Aust. J. agric. Res. 13: 82–99.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Alexander, G. 1962b. Temperature regulation in the new-born lamb. V. Summit metabolism. Aust. J. agric. Res. 13: 100–211.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Alexander, G. 1962c. Energy metabolism in the starved new-born lamb. Aust. J. agric. Res. 13: 144–164.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Alexander, G. 1974. Heat loss from sheep. In Heat Loss from Animals and Man. Proc. 20th Easter Sch. agric. Set., Univ. Nottingham, 1973, pp. 173–203.Google Scholar
Alexander, G. and McCance, I. 1958. Temperature regulation in the new-born lamb. 1. Changes in rectal temperature within the first six hours of life. Aust. J. agric. Res. 9: 339–347.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Alexander, G. and Williams, D. 1966a. Teat seeking activity in lambs during the first hours of life. Anim. Behav. 14: 166–176.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Alexander, G. and Williams, D. 1966b. Teat seeking activity in new-born lambs: the effect of cold. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 61: 181–189.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burton, A. C. and Edholm, O. G. 1955. Man in a Cold Environment, pp. 47–52. Arnold, London.Google Scholar
Griffiths, J. G. 1968. Observations on neonatal changes of body temperature in Blackface lambs. Anim. Prod. 10: 319–323.Google Scholar
Gunn, R. G. and Robinson, J. F. 1963. Lamb mortality in Scottish hill flocks. Anim. Prod. 5: 67–76.Google Scholar
Houston, D. C. and Maddox, J. G. 1974. Causes of mortality among young Scottish Blackface lambs. Vet. Rec. 95: 575.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Joyce, J. P. and Blaxter, K. L. 1964. The effect of air movement, air temperature and infrared radiation on the energy requirements of sheep. Br. J. Nutr. 18: 5–27.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Peirce, A. W. 1934. The basal (standard) metabolism of the Australian Merino sheep. 2. Bull. Coun. scient. Ind. Res., Melb., No. 84.Google Scholar
Purser, A. F. and Young, G. B. 1959. Lamb survival in two hill flocks. Anim. Prod. 1: 85–91.Google Scholar
Slee, J. 1968. Body temperature and vasomotor responses in Scottish Blackface and Tasmanian Merino sheep subjected to slow cooling. Anim. Prod. 10: 265–282.Google Scholar