Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dk4vv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T17:40:39.175Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effects of late gestation shearing on BW, feed intake and plasma metabolite concentrations in Rambouillet ewes managed outdoors during winter

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2018

T. W. Murphy Open the ORCID record for T. W. Murphy [Opens in a new window] ,
W. C. Stewart ,
C. G. Smith  and
J. B. Taylor
T. W. Murphy*
Affiliation:
Department of Animal and Range Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
W. C. Stewart
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
C. G. Smith
Affiliation:
Department of Animal and Range Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
J. B. Taylor
Affiliation:
USDA, ARS, Range Sheep Production Efficiency Research Unit, U.S. Sheep Experiment Station, Dubois, ID 83423, USA
*
†E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

The majority of lambs in the United States are born from late winter to early spring and pregnant ewes are generally sheared in the last third of pregnancy. Although there are benefits to shearing before parturition, shorn animals may be more vulnerable to the cold, highly variable climatic conditions associated with these seasons. The objective of this study was to determine if late gestation shearing induces differences in individual BW, dry matter intake (DMI) and plasma metabolite concentration of finewool ewes managed outdoors during winter. Thirty-six mature, pregnant Rambouillet ewes (3.8±0.45 years; 76.8±11.4 kg) were managed in a drylot with ad libitum access to pelleted alfalfa in bunks capable of measuring individual daily DMI. The treatment group consisted of ewes sheared at ~5 weeks before the estimated parturition date (shorn; n=18). Unshorn ewes (n=18) remained in full fleece throughout the experiment and were shorn on the last day of the experiment ~2 weeks before the estimated parturition date. Blood was collected on days 0 (before shearing shorn group), 7, 14 and 21 (before shearing unshorn group) of the trial, and plasma was isolated and analyzed for non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA), β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) and glucose (GLU) concentrations. There was no effect of shearing on ewe DMI or BW during the trial (P⩾0.35). Plasma NEFA and GLU concentrations were similar (P⩾0.36) between shearing groups, though plasma BHB concentration was 103.7 μmol/l greater (24.1%; P<0.01) in unshorn ewes. Lamb BW at birth was not affected (P=0.30) by ewe shearing treatment. Under conditions of this study, no differences in economically important aspects of sheep production were observed between shorn and unshorn pregnant ewes.

Keywords

dry matter intakefinewool sheepgrowthlitter sizemetabolism
Type
Research Article
Information
animal , Volume 13 , Issue 3 , March 2019 , pp. 600 - 605
Copyright
© The Animal Consortium 2018. This is a work of the U.S. Government and is not subject to protection in the United States 

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

Alexander, G 1974. Heat loss from sheep. In Heat loss from animals and man (ed. JL Monteith and LE Mount), pp. 173–203. Butterworth, London, UK.Google Scholar
Battaglia, FC and Meschia, G 1988. Fetal nutrition. Annual Reviews Nutrition 8, 43–61.Google Scholar
Black, HJ and Chestnutt, DMB 1990. Influence of shearing regime and grass silage quality on the performance of pregnant ewes. Animal Production 51, 573–582.Google Scholar
Clarke, L, Bryant, MJ, Lomax, MA and Symonds, ME 1997. Maternal manipulation of brown adipose tissue and liver development in the ovine fetus during late gestation. British Journal of Nutrition 77, 871–883.Google Scholar
Corner, RA, Kenyon, PR, Stafford, JK, West, DM and Oliver, MH 2006. The effect of mid-pregnancy shearing or yarding stress on ewe post-natal behaviour and the birth weight and post-natal behaviour of their lambs. Livestock Science 102, 121–129.Google Scholar
Corner, RA, Kenyon, PR, Stafford, KJ, West, DM and Oliver, MH 2007. The effect of mid-pregnancy shearing and litter size on lamb birth weight and postnatal plasma cortisol response. Small Ruminant Research 73, 115–121.Google Scholar
Corner, RA, Kenyon, PR, Stafford, KJ, West, DM and Oliver, MH 2010. The effect of different types of stressors during mid- and late pregnancy on lamb weight and body size at birth. Animal 4, 2065–2070.Google Scholar
Dabiri, N, Morris, ST, Wallentine, M, McCutcheon, SN, Parker, WJ and Wickham, GA 1996. Effects of pre-lamb shearing on feed intake and associated productivity of May- and August-lambing ewes. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 39, 53–62.Google Scholar
De Barbieri, I, Montossi, F, Viñoles, C and Kenyon, PR 2012. Impact of wool stubble depth after mid pregnancy shearing on Corriedale ewe and lamb performance. Small Ruminant Research 107, 111–116.Google Scholar
De Barbieri, I, Montossi, F, Viñoles, C and Kenyon, PR 2014. Effect of shearing ewes during mid- and late-pregnancy on lambs weight at birth and survival to weaning under grazing conditions in Uruguay. Small Ruminant Research 119, 28–32.Google Scholar
Glanville, JRD and Phillips, CJC 1986. The effect of winter shearing Welsh Mountain ewes in the hill environment. Animal Production 42, 455.Google Scholar
Gregory, NG 1995. The role of shelterbelts in protecting livestock: a review. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 38, 423–450.Google Scholar
Husain, MH, Morris, ST, McCutcheon, SN and Parker, WJ 1997. Pasture management to minimise the detrimental effects of pre-lamb shearing. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 40, 489–496.Google Scholar
Keady, TW and Hanrahan, JP 2009. Effects of shearing at housing, grass silage feed value and extended grazing herbage allowance on ewe and subsequent lamb performance. Animal 3, 143–151.Google Scholar
Kenyon, PR, Morris, ST, Revell, DK and McCutcheon, SN 2002. Maternal constraint and the birthweight response to mid-pregnancy shearing. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 53, 511–517.Google Scholar
Kenyon, PR, Morris, ST, Revell, DK and McCutcheon, SN 2003. Shearing during pregnancy – review of a policy to increase birthweight and survival of lambs in New Zealand pastoral farming systems. New Zealand Veterinary Journal 51, 200–207.Google Scholar
Maund, BA 1980. Shearing ewes at housing. Animal Production 30, 481.Google Scholar
McAllister, TA, Gibb, DJ, Kemp, RA, Huisma, C, Olson, ME, Milligan, D and Schwartzkipf-Genswein, KS 2000. Electronic identification: applications in beef production and research. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 80, 381–392.Google Scholar
Moallem, U, Rozov, A, Gootwine, E and Honig, H 2012. Plasma concentrations of key metabolites and insulin in late-pregnant ewes carrying 1 to 5 fetuses. Journal of Animal Science 90, 318–324.Google Scholar
National Research Council (NRC) 1981. Effect of environment on nutrient requirements of domestic animals. The National Academies Press, Washington, DC, USA.Google Scholar
Parker, WJ, Morris, ST and McCutcheon, SN 1991. Wool production and feed intake in unmated and mated Border Leicester x Romney crossbred ewes shorn in July or November. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 34, 427–437.Google Scholar
Rutter, W, Laird, TR and White, IR 1971. The effects of clipping pregnant ewes at housing and of feeding different basal roughages. Animal Production 13, 329–336.Google Scholar
Sphor, L, Banchero, G, Correa, G, Osório, MTM and Quintans, G 2011. Early prepartum shearing increases milk production of wool sheep and the weight of the lambs at birth and weaning. Small Ruminant Research 99, 44–47.Google Scholar
Symonds, ME, Bryant, MJ and Lomax, MA 1986. The effect of shearing on the energy metabolism of the pregnant ewe. British Journal of Nutrition 56, 635–643.Google Scholar
Symonds, ME, Bryant, MJ and Lomax, MA 1988. Metabolic adaptation during pregnancy in winter-shorn sheep. Journal of Agricultural Science 111, 137–145.Google Scholar
United States Department of Agriculture National Animal Health Monitoring System 2014. Lambing management practices on U.S. sheep operations, 2011. Retrieved on 1 October 2017 from https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/nahms/sheep/downloads/sheep11/Sheep11_is_Lambing.pdf.Google Scholar
Vipond, JE, King, ME, Inglis, DM and Hunter, EA 1987. The effect of winter shearing of housed pregnant ewes on food intake and animal performance. Animal Production 45, 211–221.Google Scholar
Webster, AJF, Hicks, AM and Hays, FL 1969. Cold climate and cold temperature induced changes in heat production and thermal insulation of sheep. Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology 47, 553–562.Google Scholar