Intake and digestibility of meat ewes belonging to two contrasting feed efficiency genetic lines, during their two first production cycles

Azizi, Abdennour; Nascimento, H.; Tortereau, Flavie; Hazard, Dominique; Douls, Sebastien; Durand, Christian; Bonnal, Laurent; Hassoun, Philippe; Parisot, Sara; Tlidjane, M.; García, Eliel González

doi:10.1016/j.livsci.2021.104738

Cited by 2 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…Our results reject such hypothesis as no difference was found between the two genetic lines for any of the monitored indicators ( Tables 2 and 3 ; Figures 2 and 3 ). These findings are in agreement with a previous study carried out by our team reporting no difference in voluntary intake and digestibility in ewes originated from the two divergent RFI lines of Romane sheep ( Azizi et al, 2021 ). Our findings disagree with those from a recent report by Barrio et al (2023) when evaluating effects of a similar short-duration CHA in the response and recovery of two feed efficiency genetic lines of Assaf ewes in Spain.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

“…In dairy cows, Potts et al (2015) also argued that because body energy changes are accounted for in the prediction of residual feed intake ( RFI ), it is expected that low-RFI individuals will not be any more likely to mobilize body tissue to support production than cows with high RFI (efficient). Contrary to those statements, in a previous study carried out by our team ( Azizi et al, 2021 ) we reported no difference in voluntary intake and digestibility in ewes originated from two divergent RFI lines of Romane sheep. As it is an emerging field of research, there is lack of quantifiable, reliable data disentangling the magnitude of the effects of a nutritional challenge in different physiological and productive parameters.…”

Section: Introductioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

“…Nevertheless, it is important to remind that genetic lines for feed efficiency in this Romane sheep are selected during the growth period (lambs) and based on the concentrate fraction of the diet. Up to date, we do not have any evidence of keeping the divergence of the genetic lines when adult animals are reared under different conditions i.e., using roughages (as was discussed by Azizi et al, 2021 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As described by Azizi et al (2021) , the chemical composition of the dried and ground feed and refusals samples (hay and straw) were determined by monochromatic NIRS (NIRS 6500, Foss NIRSystems, Silver Spring, MD, USA). The chemical composition was predicted based on its NIRS spectrum using reference data (SELMET-CIRAD, Montpellier, France) derived from a large sample population collected over multiple years in two databases.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Short-term responses of meat ewes facing an acute nutritional challenge in early-mid lactation

González-García,

Gindri,

Durand

et al. 2023

Translational Animal Science

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Simulating a consequence of a climate change event on feed availability, responses of Mediterranean meat ewes facing an acute undernutritional challenge (CHA; i.e. fed only low nutritional value cereal straw) were evaluated at a sensitive physiological stage (i.e. early suckling). Forty Romane ewes were chosen at early-mid pregnancy (around 2 mo) according to parity (20 primiparous, PRIM; 20 multiparous, MULT); feed efficiency genetic line of their sires [residual feed intake (RFI); efficient, RFI-, n= 10 per parity; inefficient, RFI+, n= 10 per parity); litter size (i.e. bearing twins, diagnosed by ultrasonography); body weight (BW, kg) and body condition score (BCS) [initial BW and BCS (mean ±SD): 51.6 ±7.41 kg; 2.5 ±0.20, respectively; representing flock’ averages per parity]. Effects on dry matter intake (DMI), ewes’ BW and BCS, subcutaneous dorsal fat thickness (DFT), energy metabolism [plasma NEFA, β-OHB, glucose, urea, tri-iodothyronine (T3)], and lambs’ growth (BW and average daily gain; ADG, g/d) were examined before, during and after CHA. Individuals’ profiles of the response-recovery to CHA were described using a piecewise mixed-effects model. The fixed effect of parity and genetic line, and the random effect of individual (ewe) were considered. A linear mixed-effects model was fitted to explore effects on lambs’ growth. The two-day straw-only CHA had significant effects on most of the recorded parameters. Meaningful drops and recoveries were observed on ewes’ DMI, BW and DFT with effect on post-challenge levels. BW, BCS, DFT or DMI were also affected by parity (MULT>PRIM) but not by genetic line. Plasma NEFA, β-OHB, glucose, urea and T3 responded well to CHA with drops in T3, urea and glucose levels, whereas NEFA and β-OHB significantly increased after CHA. MULT ewes presented sharper β-OHB recovery from CHA than PRIM (P ≤ 0.05). With this study, we provide tangible and necessary data for an emerging field of research. Our results give new insights in how such a short and abrupt CHA affects some key zootechnical and physiological parameters, and to what extent the impacts of CHA and the ewes’ response-recovery are influenced. It also revealed potential between-individual differences in the adaptive capacities of ewes, which require further exploration.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Section: Introductioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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