Hostname: page-component-7bb8b95d7b-495rp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-10-04T21:39:21.706Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The influence of energy intake on plasma levels of glucose, non-esterified fatty acids and acetone in the pregnant ewe

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

P. J. Davies ,
R. G. Johnston  and
D. B. Ross
P. J. Davies
Affiliation:
Essex Institute of AgricultureWrittle, Ohelmsford CM I 3RR
R. G. Johnston
Affiliation:
Essex Institute of AgricultureWrittle, Ohelmsford CM I 3RR
D. B. Ross
Affiliation:
The Animal Health Trust StockEssex CM4 9PE
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Forty cross-bred ewes were individually fed from the end of week 13 of pregnancy to parturition on two diets whioh were designed to provide intakes of metabolizable energy above (treatment El) and below (treatment E2) the maintenance requirement of the non-pregnant ewe.

Energy intake had no significant influence on birth weight of single lambs but twin lambs from ewes on treatment E1 were 25% heavier than twins from ewes on treatment E2. A net loss of body weight occurred between week 13 of pregnancy and the day following parturition in all groups of ewes. These losses represented 5 and 10% of body weight in ewes carrying singles on treatments E1 and E2 respectively. In ewes carrying twin lambs losses represented 11 and 16% of body weight on treatments E1 and E2 respectively.

Levels of plasma N.E.F.A. and acetone were used to characterize the state of nourishment of ewes at 16, 18 and 20 weeks pregnant. Values obtained indicated that ewes carrying one lamb on treatment El were ‘moderately’ undernourished. Ewes carrying one lamb on treatment E2 and those carrying twin lambs on treatment E1 were undernourished to a similar degree characterized as bordering between ‘moderate’ and ‘severe’. Ewes carrying twin lambs on treatment E2 and all those carrying triplets were ‘severely’ undernourished.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 77 , Issue 2 , October 1971 , pp. 261 - 265
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 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

Agricultural Research Council (1965). The Nutrient Requirements of Farm Livestock, No. 2 Ruminants. London: Agricultural Research Council.Google Scholar
Bakker, N. & White, R. R. (1957). A simplified micromethod for the colorimetric determination of total acetone bodies in blood. N.Z. Jl Sci. Technol. Sect. B 38, 1001–8.Google Scholar
Huggett, A.St, G. & Nixon, D. A. (1957). Enzymatic determination of blood glucose. Biochem. J. 66, 12P.Google Scholar
Patterson, D. S. P. (1963). Some observations on the estimation of non-esterified fatty acid concentrations in cow and sheep plasma. Res. vet. Sci. 4, 230–37.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Patterson, D. S. P. & Cunningham, N. F. (1969). Metabolic and hormonal aspects of bovine ketosis and pregnancy toxaemia in the ewe. Proc. Nutr. Soc. 28, 171–78.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robinson, J. J. & 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. E., Doney, J. M. & Reid, R. L. (1967). The use of biochemical parameters in controlling nutritional state in pregnant ewes, and the effect of undernourishment during pregnancy on lamb birth weight. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 68, 351—58.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Snedecor, G. W. (1962). Statistical Methods. Iowa, U.S.A.: Iowa State University Press, pp. 90 and 91.Google Scholar
Treacher, T. T. (1970). Effects of nutrition in late pregnancy on subsequent milk production in ewes. Anim. Prod. 12, 23–36.Google Scholar