The effect of constant dietary energy supply during late gestation and early lactation on performances of prolific D’man ewes

Abstract

-A total of 42 prolific D'man ewes were used to study the effect of the dietary energy supply on their performances during the last 45 days of pregnancy and the first 60 days of the suckling phase. The ewes were fed 1 kg of hay and supplemented with either 200 (treatment L), 570 (treatment M) or 840 g (treatment H) of a barley and soyabean-based concentrate. The proportion of soyabean was adjusted so that the crude protein (CP) content of the three diets was similar (120 g CP·kg -1 ). The energy contents of the diets were 1.2, 1.8 and 2.2 of the daily net energy requirements for maintenance in respectively the L, M and H treatments. Daily hay intake averaged 829 ± 18 g dry matter (DM) per ewe and was not affected by the level of the concentrate distributed. The body condition score of the ewes in all treatment groups was low at the beginning of the experiment (1.9 ± 0.3) and continued to decline throughout the period of treatment application. Nevertheless, the rate of decline was higher for the L and M ewes (P < 0.05). The live weight of the ewes after lambing was higher (P < 0.05) for ewes in the H treatment group (43.2 ± 6.9 kg) in comparison to the other ones (37.7 ± 7.8 and 40.0 ± 7.3 kg for the L and M groups respectively). Daily milk production over the first 40 days of lactation (959 ± 399 g·day -1 ) was not affected by the energy level of the diet. Similarly, fat (8.9 ± 2.4%) and protein (4.5 ± 0.9%) contents of the milk were not affected by the diet energy content. The weights of the lambs at birth, at 10, 30 and 50 days of age were not influenced by the diet energy content. In contrast, average daily growth (ADG) between 10 and 30 (ADG10-30) and also between 30 and 50 days of age (ADG30-50) were significantly affected by energy allowances in the diet (95 ± 23, 133 ± 25, and 152 ± 27 g·day -1 for ADG10-30 and 76 ± 22, 135 ± 24 and 136 ± 24 g·day -1 for ADG30-50 in L, M and H groups respectively). It is concluded that the energy requirements of prolific D'man ewes during late gestation and early lactation are likely to be higher than the levels attempted in this study. ont été utilisées pour étudier les effets du niveau énergétique de la ration sur leurs performances de production pendant 45 j en fin de gestation et 60 j après la mise-bas. Les brebis ont reçu 1 kg de foin complémenté avec 240 g (lot bas : B), 570 g (lot moyen : M) ou 840 g (lot haut : H) d'un concentré à base d'orge et de tourteau de soja. La proportion de ce dernier a été ajustée pour obtenir 3 rations iso-azotées (120 g MAT·kg -1 ). Les apports énergétiques sont estimés à 1,2, 1,8 et 2,2 fois le besoin d'entretien pour les lots L, M et H respectivement. L'ingestion du foin (829 ± 18 g MS·j -1 ) n'est pas affectée par la quantité de concentré distribuée. La note d'état corporel des brebis est très faible au début de l'essai (1,9 ± 0,3) et continue à baisser tout au long de l'expérience. Cependant, la baisse est plus prononcée (P < 0,05) chez les brebis qui reçoivent les niveaux L et M. Le poids vif des brebis après la mise-bas ...

Effect of Creep Feeding of Lambs and Plane of Nutrition of Ewes on the Productive Performance of Ewes During Suckling Period

“…The results of the interaction effect showed no significant difference in lambs body weight gain at different interval after lambing (Table 12) These results agreed with Mahouachi et al (2004), who reported that average daily growth rates at 30 days of age was affected by the diets energy level of their dams which fed 1 kg of hay and supplemented with either 200 (treatment L), 570 (treatment M) or 840 g (treatment H) of concentrate during late early lactation. These results are in contrast with Sultana et al (2012) who found that daily weight gain of kids of Black Bengal goats did not differ significantly between groups given 150, 200, 250 and 300 g concentrate mixture with ad libitum green grasses.…”

Reproduction and Growth Performance of the Algerian Tazegzawt Sheep Breed

“…Under favorable breeding conditions, this breed reaches a mean post-weaning weight (age at 180 days) of 37.08 ± 5.16 kg (37.71 ± 5.65 kg in the male and 36.38 ± 4.62 kg in the female). The weight at birth of lambs in this breed is largely important compared to other breeds : 3.5 kg in OuledDjellal (IANOR, 2007), 4 kg in Rembi (IANOR, 2013), 3.1 kg in Hamra (IANOR, 2007), 2.60 kg in the D'man breed (Mahouachi et al,2004), 3.7 kg in the Sardi breed (Boujenane et al,2001), 3, 72 kg in the Timahdite breed (Boujenane and Kansari, 2005), 2.8 kg in Ile-de-France (Boujenane, 2005) and comparable to that of the Moroccan breed Boujaâd : 4.95 kg (El Amiri et al, 2010), of the Awassi breed from the Middle East : 4.3 kg (Kridli et al,2006), the Mexican Blackbelly breed : 4.5 kg (Herrera-Alarcón et al,2007). The growth performance achieved by lambs of the Tazegzawt breed is comparable to that of other local breeds in Algeria.…”