Early prepartum shearing increases milk production of wool sheep and the weight of the lambs at birth and weaning

Sphor, Luiza de Ávila; Banchero, G.; Corrêa, Guilherme; Osório, M. T. M.; Quintans, G.

doi:10.1016/j.smallrumres.2011.03.007

Cited by 25 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…In the present study, lambs from the group of sheared ewes kept the body weight difference up to the 5 th week of life, and they were 15.3% heavier at wean than the lambs coming from non-sheared ewes. This result agrees with other studies that showed lambs from sheared ewes were 16.2% heavier at weaning than lambs from non-sheared ewes (26) . Other studies pointed out shearing ewes during pregnancy results in lambs 4.3 to 6.5% heavier than lambs from non-sheared sheep (9,27) .…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

“…Another two studies reported a mean body weight increase at birth of 1,400 g, suggesting shearing ewes at 53 days of pregnancy contribute to a greater fetal and placental development (26) . In the present study, lambs from the group of sheared ewes kept the body weight difference up to the 5 th week of life, and they were 15.3% heavier at wean than the lambs coming from non-sheared ewes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

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Effect of Shearing During Pregnancy on Productive Performance in the Post-Partum Period of Ewes on Extensive Husbandry

et al. 2015

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The use of shearing during pregnancy has been described as a tool for improving productivity in sheep and for minimizing perinatal mortality in lambs through the increase of fetal development. This study assessed the effect of shearing around 74 days of gestation on the productive performance of ewes and lambs during the first month of life. Forty Corriedale ewes were inseminated in autumn in Southern Brazil. All ewes were kept together at the same pasture under extensive husbandry conditions. The ewes were randomly separated into two treatment groups: twenty animals were completely sheared at 74 ± 6 days of pregnancy, and twenty were kept without sheared during pregnancy, composing the control group. Ewes and their lambs were evaluated at three different times during the experiment: at birth, between 15 and 21 days post-partum and between 22 and 45 days post-partum. Ewes had their body condition score, body weight, placental weight, milk production and serum concentrations of beta-hydroxybutyrate measured, while lambs had hematocrit, hemoglobin, and plasma lactate and glucose, as well as body weight at birth and until wean determined. Values of hematocrit and hemoglobin were lower and body weight at birth and at wean was higher in the group of lambs born from sheared ewes. Placenta weight was higher in sheared ewes. Body condition score and beta-hydroxybutyrate showed no differences between groups. Milk production of sheared ewes (1.26 L/day) was higher than in control group (0.93 L/day). Shearing ewes at 74 days of pregnancy was efficient for the better development of lambs at post-birth, reducing perinatal mortality rates. Keywords: beta-hydroxybutyrate; lambs; milk yield; metabolism; placenta weight. GUYOTI, V.M. et al. Cienc. anim. bras. v.16,n.2, p. 217-224 abr./jun. 2015Resumo O uso da esquila durante a gestação tem sido descrita em ovelhas como ferramenta para aumentar a produtividade e minimizar a mortalidade perinatal em cordeiros por aumentar o desenvolvimento fetal. No presente estudo foi avaliado o efeito da esquila em torno dos 74 dias de gestação sobre o desempenho produtivo de ovelhas e no peso de seus cordeiros durante o primeiro mês de vida. Quarenta ovelhas Corriedale foram encarneiradas no outono do Sul brasileiro, sendo mantidas sob a mesma pastagem em condições extensivas. As ovelhas foram distribuídas aleatoriamente em dois grupos de tratamentos, sendo vinte ovelhas esquiladas aos 74 ± 6 dias de gestação e vinte mantidas sem esquila durante a gestação, compondo o grupo controle. Ovelhas e respectivos cordeiros foram avaliados em três períodos: no dia do parto, entre 15 e 21 dias pós-parto e entre 22 e 45 dias pósparto. Nas ovelhas, foram medidos o escore de condição corporal, o peso corporal e da placenta, a produção do leite e a concentração sérica de beta-hidroxibutirato, enquanto nos cordeiros foram determinados hematócrito, hemoglobina e concentrações plasmáticas de lactato e glicose, além de peso corporal ao nascimento até o desmame. Os valores médios de hematócrito e hemoglobina foram...

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Effect of Shearing During Pregnancy on Productive Performance in the Post-Partum Period of Ewes on Extensive Husbandry

et al. 2015

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“…Milk production was estimated three times during lactation in wk two, four, and six post-lambing, by using the oxytocin milking technique (Geenty, 2010;Sphor et al, 2011) on 26 maternal ewes (thirteen per diet). Ewes were injected intravenously with 10 i.u.…”

Section: Milk Productionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Positive consequences of maternal diet and post-natal rumen inoculation on rumen function and animal performance of Merino lambs

Barbieri

Hegarty

Silveira

et al. 2015

Small Ruminant Research

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“…Milk production was estimated using an oxytocin milking technique previously validated by Sphor et al (2011). In brief, lambs were shifted to another paddock and all ewes were injected i.m.…”

Section: Progesterone Measurementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Progesterone administration reduces the behavioural and physiological responses of ewes to abrupt weaning of lambs

Freitas‐de‐Melo

Banchero

Hötzel

et al. 2013

Animal

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Abrupt weaning, a usual management in sheep productive systems, may provoke behavioural and physiological responses indicative of stress in ewes and lambs. Progesterone (P4) has anxiolytic and sedative effects through the union of its metabolites that contain 3a-hydroxyl group to the g-aminobutyricacid A receptor. Our first aim was to determine whether P4 administration reduces the behavioural and physiological responses of ewes to abrupt weaning of lambs. A complementary aim was to determine whether P4 treatment affects the milk yield and composition of ewes, and the BW of their lambs. In experiment 1, seven ewes received P4 treatment for 32 days (group E1-P4), and eight ewes remained as an untreated control group (group E1-C). BW of the lambs was recorded during P4 treatment. Lambs were weaned at 59 days (Day 0 5 weaning). The main behaviours of the ewes before and after weaning were recorded using 10 min scan sampling. The ewes' serum total protein, albumin and globulin concentrations were measured before and after weaning of the lambs. In experiment 2, milk yield and composition were determined in two different groups of six ewes treated with P4 (group E2-P4) for 16 days and in five untreated controls (group E2-C). The BW of lambs increased with time ( P 5 0.001) in both groups and did not differ. The percentage of observations in which the ewes were seen pacing on Day 0 was greater in the E1-C group than in the E1-P4 group ( P 5 0.0007). Similarly, the percentage of observations in which the ewes were recorded vocalizing on Day 0 was greater in the E1-C group than in the E1-P4 group ( P 5 0.04). The percentage of observations in which E1-C ewes were recorded lying did not change from Days 0 to 1; however, it increased in E1-P4 ewes. Total serum protein concentration did not change in E1-P4 ewes from Days 0 to 3, although a decrease was seen in E1-C ewes ( P 5 0.04). Serum globulin concentration was greater in E1-P4 ewes on Day 3 than in E1-C ewes (P 5 0.0008). In experiment 2, there were no differences between E2-P4 and E2-C ewes in terms of milk yield, protein, fat and lactose content. Progesterone administration reduced the behavioural and physiological responses of ewes to abrupt weaning of lambs, and this effect was not mediated by changes in milk yield and composition, or by lambs' BW.

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Early prepartum shearing increases milk production of wool sheep and the weight of the lambs at birth and weaning

Cited by 25 publications

References 17 publications

Effect of Shearing During Pregnancy on Productive Performance in the Post-Partum Period of Ewes on Extensive Husbandry

Effect of Shearing During Pregnancy on Productive Performance in the Post-Partum Period of Ewes on Extensive Husbandry

Positive consequences of maternal diet and post-natal rumen inoculation on rumen function and animal performance of Merino lambs

Progesterone administration reduces the behavioural and physiological responses of ewes to abrupt weaning of lambs

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