Nutrition for Lactation of Dairy Sheep

Abstract

The feeding of dairy sheep has to start exactly at the beginning of the last 2 months of gestation (the last third of gestation) and not after lambing. Indeed, during this critical physiological stage, the rumen is compressed by the uterus. Therefore, the ewe can no longer ingest the amount of food that can satisfy its ingestion capacity (2-2.5 kg DM/100Kg of weight/speed) which leads to a controversial situation therein the fact that on the one hand the needs are high (maintenance and gestation) and on the other hand the ingestion capacity is decreasing. To solve this issue, we should give the ewe a supplement based on good quality food that is not heavy and that favors rapid digestive transit. Thus, this supplement must be a concentrated feed distributed at a rate of 0.3 FU/ewe/day), during the last 2 months of gestation. This feeding technique makes it possible to have vigorous lambs at birth, a satisfactory colostrum production which makes it possible to give the lambs the antibodies, necessary for their passive immunity, and therefore reduce the perinatal mortality rate as well as allow for a good triggering of milk production which will be increased in the quantity produced and the peak of lactation. In general, the ration must always be balanced in energy and protein. Indeed, if the ration is surplus in energy, it can cause the infertility of ewes. If it is the other way around, the urea will be stored in the liver and transformed into the urine. However, if the excess is intolerable, it will persist in the liver and cause mortality of the animals and diseases, such as alkalosis. In addition to proteins and energy, ewes must receive the necessary minerals, mainly Ca and P, during pregnancy and lactation. A deficiency of Ca at the end of gestation will cause milk fever (hypocalcemia) which will not be recoverable later. Finally, excessive watering should be avoided after a water is cut to prevent diarrhea.

Postpartum Body Condition Score (BCS) and Lactation Stage (30 and 60 Days) Affecting Essential Fatty Acids (EFA) and Milk Quality of Najdi Sheep

“…Furthermore, the deterioration in the body condition of ewes in the first week after parturition would not be solely due to the onset of milk production but to an increase in milk production. However, milk production in sheep during lactation peaks four weeks after birth [3]. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of BCS and the lactation stage at days 30 and 60 on milk composition and FA profiles in Najdi sheep.…”

“…In dairy sheep, lactating ewes typically reach their maximum milk production (peak of lactation) at 3-4 weeks after lambing and produce 75% of their total milk yield in the first 8 weeks of lactation [3]. Peak lactation is determined based on milk production traits (estimation of lactation stage, selection of animals based on their performance curve, lactation persistence, etc.)…”

The Physicochemical Characterization, Fatty Acid Profile, and Nutritional Indices of the Greek Traditional Cheese “Tsalafouti”

“…Samples A8, A9, and A10, which came from the same producer, showed higher protein levels and fat contents than all other samples, possibly attributable to their protein content and fat content, which vary widely depending on the species, race, state of the lactation period, environmental conditions, diet, etc. [8,33]. According to Ali et al [34], qualitatively and quantitatively, the protein in cheese depends mainly and to a large extent on the quality and quantity of the protein in raw milk.…”

Optimal Lamb Feed Formulation using Mathematical Programming Model

“…Protein is important to restore old tissues and build new tissues for sheep (Spencer, 2021). Protein also is highly needed to build muscle for young, growing lambs and to produce milk protein for lactating ewes (Selmi et al, 2020). Protein supplements such as oilseed meals (soybean meal, cottonseed meal) can be added into sheep's diet to make up the insufficient crude protein in existing forages so that nutrient requirement is satisfied (Florou-Paneri et al, 2014).…”