J. Anim Sci.
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

J. Anim Sci. 1986. 63:1019-1025.
© 1986 American Society of Animal Science
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Pond, W. G.
Right arrow Articles by Wallace, M. H.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Pond, W. G.
Right arrow Articles by Wallace, M. H.

Effect of Gestation-Lactation Diet Calcium and Zinc Levels and of Parenteral Vitamins A, D and E During Gestation on Ewe Body Weight and on Lamb Weight and Survival

W. G. Pond and M. H. Wallace1

U.S. Department of Agriculture,2, Clay Center, NE 68933

Abstract

Data on ewe body weights and on lamb birth and weaning weights and survival rates were recorded on a total of 557 multiparous Rambouillet, Hampshire x Suffolk and Synthetic I (composite of Finnish Landrace, Rambouillet and Polled Dorset) ewes in two experiments started after the first trimester of gestation. In Exp. 1, a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments included all combinations of low (.24% in gestation and .48% in lactation), or high (.80%) dietary Ca and low (20 ppm) or high (74 ppm) dietary Zn. No effect of dietary Ca or Zn level and no Ca x Zn interaction with respect to number of lambs born or weaned, birth weight, weaning weight or survival rate of the lambs or body weight of the ewes was shown. Mean number of lambs born was 1.63 ± .71 with a survival rate of 85.0 ± .3% and a weaning weight (59 d) of 19.4 ± 4.4 kg. Experiment 2 was a repeat of Exp. 1 except that two intramuscular injections of vitamins A, D and E (d 65 and 93 of experiment) were given to one-half of the ewes in each diet group. There was no effect of dietary Ca or Zn level or of vitamin administration on ewe body weight changes, number of lambs born (1.89 ± .55), survival rate (86.6 ± .3%), lamb birth weight (4.6 ± 1.5 kg) or lamb weaning weight (23.2 ± 7.2 kg). Blood plasma Ca, inorganic P and Mg concentrations of ewes in late pregnancy were unaffected by diet or vitamin injections. Plasma Zn was lower in ewes fed high Ca than in those fed low Ca diets, suggesting the possibility of lower absorption of dietary Zn by ewes fed high Ca. Overall, the data provide no evidence that current National Research Council recommendations for dietary Ca and Zn levels for pregnant and lactating ewes bearing 1.6 to 1.9 lambs are inadequate for maintenance of ewe body weight or have an adverse effect on lamb birth weight, weaning weight and survival.

Footnotes

1 The authors thank Robert Anderson and associates for animal care; Pat Reiman and associates for diet preparation; Lei Yen and Jeff Waechter and associates for blood and feed analyses; Ming Hu, Lei Yen and Jim Wray for data processing; and Sherry Hansen for typing the manuscript.

2 Agr. Res. Serv., Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Anim. Res. Center and Univ. of Nebraska.






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1986 by the American Society of Animal Science.