Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-g8jcs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T06:00:13.407Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A study of protein requirements of housed Scottish Blackface ewes during late pregnancy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

T. H. McClelland  and
T. J. Forbes
T. H. McClelland
Affiliation:
Greenmount Agricultural and Horticultural College, Muckamore, Co. Antrim
T. J. Forbes
Affiliation:
Crop and Animal Husbandry Research Division, Ministry of Agriculture for N. Ireland and The Queen's University of Belfast
Get access

Summary

In-lamb ewes were given 38, 58 and 82 g of digestible crude protein daily at a constant energy intake of 1600 kcal ME per head daily during the last 6 weeks of gestation. There were no significant differences between treatments in live-weight gain of the ewes, lamb birth weight or ewe net body-weight change (the difference between live-weight gain over the experimental period and live-weight loss at lambing).

Digestibility coefficients for the diet components and nitrogen balances were determined on three ewes per treatment during weeks 15-16 and 19·20 of gestation. No differences in the apparent digestibility of the diet components were observed between the two periods. The apparent digestibility of crude protein increased significantly (P > 0·001) with increase in crude protein intake. A significant linear relationship (P<0·01) was found between digestible crude protein intake and nitrogen retention; daily N retention increased by 0·19 g per kg W0·73 for every 1 g per kg W0·73 of apparent digested nitrogen intake per day.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 13 , Issue 4 , November 1971 , pp. 643 - 651
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1971

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. 1965. The Nutrient Requirements of Farm Livestock. No. 2. Ruminants. Agricultural Research Council, London.Google Scholar
Blaxter, K. L. and Wainman, F. W. 1964. The utilisation of the energy of different rations by sheep and cattle for maintenance and for fattening. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 63: 113–128.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cochran, W. G. and Cox, G. M. 1960. Experimental Designs. 2nd ed.J. Wiley and Sons, London.Google Scholar
Coop, I. E. 1950. The effect of level of nutrition during pregnancy and during lactation on lamb and wool production of grazing sheep. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 40: 311–340.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coop, I. E. and Clark, V. R. 1969. The influence of nutritional level in early pregnancy of the ewe. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 73: 387–394.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Donald, H. P. and Russell, W. S. 1970. The relationship between live weight of ewe at mating and weight of new born lamb. Anim. Prod. 12: 273–280.Google Scholar
Elliott, R. C. and Topps, J. H. 1964. Studies of protein requirements of ruminants. Nitrogen balance trials on Blackhead Persian sheep given diets of different energy and protein content. Br. J. Nutr. 18: 245–252.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McClelland, T. H. and Forbes, T. J. 1968. A study of the effect of energy and protein intake during late pregnancy on the performance of housed Scottish Blackface ewes. Rec. agric. Res. (N. Ir.), 17: 131–139.Google Scholar
McClelland, T. H. and Forbes, T. J. 1969. Nitrogen utilisation in Scottish Blackface ewes during late pregnancy. Rec. agric. Res. (N. Ir.), 18, 1–7.Google Scholar
Robinson, J. J. and Forbes, T. J. 1967. A study of the protein requirements of the mature breeding ewe. 2. Protein utilisation in the pregnant ewe. Br. J. Nutr. 21: 879–891.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Robinson, J. J. and Forbes, T. J. 1968. The effect of protein intake during gestation on ewe and lamb performance. Anim. Prod. 10: 297–309.Google Scholar
Russel, A. J. F., Gunn, R. G. and Doney, J. M. 1968. Components of weight loss in pregnant hill ewes during winter. Anim. Prod. 10: 43–51.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Slen, S. B. and Whiting, F. 1952. Lamb production as affected by level of protein in the ration of the mature ewe. J. Anim. Sci. 11: 166–173.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Steel, R. G. D. and Torrie, J. H. 1960. Principles and Procedures of Statistics. McGraw- Hill, New York.Google Scholar