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Food, fibre and pharmaceuticals from animals
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Does the physiological status of lambs within a twin- and triplet-born litter differ during the first 12 hours of life?

J. I. Kerslake A B , P. R. Kenyon A , K. J. Stafford A , S. T. Morris A and P. C. H. Morel A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Sheep Research Centre and the National Centre of Growth and Development, Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North 4422, New Zealand.

B Corresponding author. Email: jkerslake@abacusbio.co.nz

Animal Production Science 50(6) 522-527 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN09179
Submitted: 4 December 2009  Accepted: 14 April 2010   Published: 11 June 2010

Abstract

This study examined the physical and physiological differences from birth until 12 h of age within twin- and triplet-born litters. In 2005 and 2006, the parturition of 75 twin- and 62 triplet-bearing Romney ewes were observed. After parturition lamb blood samples were taken within 5 min of birth and rectal temperature was measured within 5 min of birth and at 1, 3, 6 and 12 h post-birth. Lamb birth weight, crown–rump length and thoracic-girth circumference were measured at 3 h of age. Lamb birth weight, plasma glucose, fructose, lactate, thyroxine and tri-iodothyronine did not differ (P > 0.05) between the heaviest-twin-born, lightest-twin-born and heaviest-triplet-born lamb. The lightest-triplet-born lambs, however, had lighter (P < 0.001) birthweights, greater (P < 0.001) surface-area-to-birth weight ratio, lower (P < 0.05) rectal temperatures, greater (P < 0.1) lactate concentrations and lower (P < 0.1) plasma thyroid hormone concentrations. These characteristics are known to have a negative impact on the ability of the lamb to maintain its body temperature after birth and may therefore provide some evidence as to why triplet-born lambs display a greater mortality rate than twin-born lambs, and why the lightest-triplet-born lambs have the greatest mortality rate within a litter.


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