Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
5790742 | Livestock Science | 2011 | 7 Pages |
Abstract
This study set out to investigate the effects of ewe size and pregnancy nutritional level on the development of singleton-foetuses in late pregnancy and was part of a large study investigating life-time effects of maternal nutrition on the offspring. Heavy (H) and light (L) Romney ewes were allocated to ad libitum (A) or maintenance (M) nutritional regimens from day 21-day 140 of pregnancy (P21-P140). At P140, 39 singleton-bearing ewes (HA: n = 9, HM: n = 10, LA: n = 10, LM: n = 10) were euthanized and ewe and foetal organs were collected and weighed. L-ewes were lighter (P < 0.05) and gained (P < 0.05) more live weight during pregnancy than H-ewes. M-ewes were lighter (P < 0.05) and gained (P < 0.05) less live weight during pregnancy than A-ewes. Foetuses from M-ewes had lighter (P < 0.05) thyroid glands and spleens than did foetuses from A-ewes. However, no ewe-size or nutritional effects were found (P > 0.05) on foetal weight or dimensions, weight of kidney, perirenal fat, heart, thymus, adrenal glands or gastrointestinal tract, mammary gland, ovaries or scrotum. In conclusion, these findings indicate that singleton-bearing ewes are able to buffer their foetus against maintenance nutrition to protect foetal growth and development in late pregnancy. In addition, singleton-bearing ewes fed ad libitum, partition the excess nutrients to itself rather than further enhancing foetal development. Ewe size had no effect on size or development of singleton-foetuses at P140, indicating that maternal size is of less importance when the ewe is carrying a singleton.
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Authors
P.R. Kenyon, D.S. van der Linden, C.M.C. Jenkinson, S.T. Morris, D.D.S. Mackenzie, S.W. Peterson, E.C. Firth, H.T. Blair,