Out-of-season breeding and ewe-lamb bond from birth to weaning in Corriedale sheep

Menant, Ophélie; Ungerfeld, Rodolfo; Lévy, Frédéric; Pérez-Clariget, Raquel; Freitas‐de‐Melo, Aline

doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105542

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…In our study, the DL-lactate level in the serum of the DK group was higher than that in the HK group ( Figure 6A ), which may be caused by the increased abundance of Lactobacillus in feces of the DK group ( Figure 3E ). The higher concentration of serum lactate in the DK group could also be caused by the stress response at weaning, as weaned youngs increase their locomotion ( Menant et al, 2022 ) and, consequently, the concentration of lactate in the blood ( Çakmakçi et al, 2021 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Early Weaning and Milk Substitutes Affect the Gut Microbiome, Metabolomics, and Antibody Profile in Goat Kids Suffering From Diarrhea

Zhong

Wang

et al. 2022

Front. Microbiol.

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Early weaning and milk substitutes increase the incidence of diarrhea in young ruminants, which may modify their gut microbiota, metabolism, immunity, and health. The aim of the study was to determine if early weaning and milk substitutes affect the gut microbiota, metabolism, and immunological status of goat kids suffering from diarrhea. The 16S rRNA gene and metagenomic sequencing in feces and serum metabolomics of early-weaned and artificially reared goat kids suffering from diarrhea (DK group) and healthy goat kids reared by their mothers (HK group) were analyzed. The serum biochemistry and immunoglobulin concentration were also determined. Several probiotics, such as Streptococcus and Lactobacillus, were higher in the feces of the DK group than in feces of the HK group. Ruminococcus sp. was elevated in the feces of HKs, likely being a biomarker for goat health. Taking all the carbohydrate-active enzyme (CAZyme) families into consideration, 20 CAZyme families were different between the groups. Compared with the DK group, the relative quantity of glycoside hydrolases (GH) and glycosyltransferase (GT) families in the HK group decreased. GT70 was only identified in HK kids participating in the activity of β-glucuronosyltransferase during the carbohydrate metabolism. Overall, 24 metabolites were different between the groups, which were mainly involved in protein digestion and absorption, cyanoamino acid metabolism, and cholesterol metabolism. The concentrations of immunoglobulins G and M were significantly lower in the DK than in the HK group. In conclusion, our study characterized the fecal microbiota, metabolism, and immunological status of early-weaned and artificially reared goat kids suffering from diarrhea.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Early Weaning and Milk Substitutes Affect the Gut Microbiome, Metabolomics, and Antibody Profile in Goat Kids Suffering From Diarrhea

Zhong

Wang

et al. 2022

Front. Microbiol.

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“…In these conditions, lambs have a lower birth weight, poorer vitality, and greater mortality rate (Chniter et al, 2011;Dhaoui et al, 2020) than spring-born lambs. Autumn-born lambs display different strategies to cope with weaning compared to spring-born lambs, as the former walk more frequently but were observed less often standing up than the latter (Menant et al, 2022). While springborn lambs decrease their grazing frequency at weaning, autumnborn lambs increase it (Menant et al, 2022).…”

Section: Factors Involved In the Weaning Stress Responsementioning

confidence: 94%

“…Autumn-born lambs display different strategies to cope with weaning compared to spring-born lambs, as the former walk more frequently but were observed less often standing up than the latter (Menant et al, 2022). While springborn lambs decrease their grazing frequency at weaning, autumnborn lambs increase it (Menant et al, 2022). In addition, mothers of autumn-born lambs produce less milk, with less fat, lactose, and protein content than mothers of spring-born lambs (Menant et al, 2022).…”

Section: Factors Involved In the Weaning Stress Responsementioning

confidence: 95%

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What Do We Know and Need to Know About Weaning in Sheep? An Overview of Weaning Practises, Stress and Welfare

et al. 2022

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Artificial weaning is the separation of the mother and her lamb, involving the forced ending of suckling and milk supply by the ewes to their lambs. Artificial weaning time varies depending on the purpose of each sheep farm and the characteristics of the lambs, including age and weight of the lambs, and their ability to eat solid food. Artificial weaning is performed from 24 h postpartum until around the age of natural weaning (up to 12 mo of age). Artificial weaning results in the breaking of the ewe-lamb bond, the end of suckling and the complete replacement of milk by solid food, frequently added to changes in both the physical and social environment. It triggers behavioural, physiological and immunological changes that generate negative consequences on the health of both ewes and lambs, as well as on the growth of the lambs, rising animal welfare concerns. As artificial weaning is considered one of the most stressful situations in the life of farm mammals, it is important to consider the factors involved in those responses to develop adequate strategies and improve sheep welfare at weaning. The most frequently used method is the abrupt separation of the ewes and their lambs. However, the adaptation of the animals after weaning can be improved by alternative weaning methods (e.g., progressive, two-steps weaning and mixed regimes), hormonal treatments (e.g., administration of progesterone), and pre- and postweaning management (e.g., the use of creeping feeding, and the presence of conspecifics or humans after weaning). This review presents and summarises information on the stress response and animal welfare issues at artificial weaning in sheep and some management practises that can be used to reduce these problems. The major points included are the ewe-lamb bond at birth and during the lactation period; the stress response at weaning; the factors involved in the stress response at weaning; the different types and weaning methods and their repercussions on animal welfare; and some strategies that can be used to improve sheep welfare at weaning. Lastly, we propose directions for research needed to develop practical alternatives to minimise sheep's stress response at weaning.

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“…In this sense, at least in these conditions, proximate factors such as nutritional status could not overcome to ultimate factors consequence of evolutionary reproductive strategies. In the same breed and similar conditions, maintenance of the body condition could not ensure the display of maternal behavior as intensively in ewes that conceived while remaining nursing (Ungerfeld et al, 2021) or that that were induced to lamb outside their normal season, in autumn (Menant et al, 2022). This constraint at least creates doubt on the generally assumed concept that the management of the body condition is, per se, enough to ensure the maximum reproductive responses in ewes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does litter size affect the response of postpartum nursing ewes to hormonal estrous induction during spring?

Bottino

Pérez-Clariget

Ungerfeld

2022

Preprint

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The objective of this study was to determine if the litter size of nursing ewes affects the response to hormonal treatments to induce estrus and ovulation during the non-breeding season. For this, 124 Corriedale ewes were used, 56 ewes that had lambed during spring and remaining nursing a single lamb (GS, n = 30) or twin lambs (GT, n = 26). Another group of ewes that did not lamb was included as a control group (GC, n = 68). Estrus was induced 38 days after lambing with intravaginal sponges impregned with medroxyprogesterone acetate, that remained 7 days in situ, plus the administration of 350 IU of eCG at withdrawal. Once detected in estrus, the ewes were cervically inseminated, and 8 and 40 days later the presence of corpus luteum (CL) and pregnancy was determined by transrectal ultrasonography respectively. The percentage of ewes that came into estrus did not differ between groups. More GC than GT ewes had CL (P = 0.02), with GS not differing from the other groups. The conception and pregnancy rates were greater in GC than in GS and GT ewes (P ≤ 0.03). The litter size had no effect on the response to estrous induction; however, nursing impaired the pregnancy outcome, probably due to the failure in the ovulatory process or the early regression of the CL.

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Out-of-season breeding and ewe-lamb bond from birth to weaning in Corriedale sheep

Cited by 6 publications

References 32 publications

Early Weaning and Milk Substitutes Affect the Gut Microbiome, Metabolomics, and Antibody Profile in Goat Kids Suffering From Diarrhea

Early Weaning and Milk Substitutes Affect the Gut Microbiome, Metabolomics, and Antibody Profile in Goat Kids Suffering From Diarrhea

What Do We Know and Need to Know About Weaning in Sheep? An Overview of Weaning Practises, Stress and Welfare

Does litter size affect the response of postpartum nursing ewes to hormonal estrous induction during spring?

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