Ewe nutrition during pregnancy and birthweight of lambs has minimal impact on fat and eye muscle depth in Merino progeny
B. L. Paganoni A G , C. M. Oldham A , M. B. Ferguson B C D , A. N. Thompson B C D , P. E. Vercoe F and D. G. Gordon B EA Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia, South Perth, WA 6151, Australia.
B Department of Primary Industries, Hamilton, Vic. 3300, Australia.
C Present address: Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia, South Perth, WA 6151, Australia.
D Present address: School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia.
E Present address: Rural Industries Skills Training, Hamilton, Vic. 3300, Australia.
F University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
G Corresponding author. Email: beth.paganoni@agric.wa.gov.au
Animal Production Science 53(6) 509-515 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN12266
Submitted: 1 August 2012 Accepted: 3 November 2012 Published: 22 March 2013
Abstract
The hypothesis tested in this experiment was that Merino lambs with lower birthweights, due to poor ewe nutrition during pregnancy, would have more fat and less muscle than Merino lambs with higher birthweights. At two sites (Victoria and Western Australia) in each of 2 years, a wide range in the liveweight profiles of ewes was generated during pregnancy and lactation by varying the amount of supplements fed and feed on offer grazed. Progeny had fat and muscle depth at the C-site measured at various ages from 8 to 28 months of age. Across the four experiments, there were differences of 0.5 kg in birthweights and 8 kg in weaning weights between extreme treatments. The effects on the depth of fat and muscle were very small with fat depth increasing by 0.1–0.2 mm (5–7%) and muscle depth increasing by 0.2–0.7 mm (1–3%) when birthweights decreased by 1 kg. The effects of birthweight on fat depth are consistent with our hypothesis whereas the effects of birthweight on muscle depth are in contrast to our hypothesis. Nevertheless, the impacts of birthweight on the depth of fat and muscle measured at the C-site of progeny from Merino ewes, is unlikely to be of any commercial significance within the range of nutritional scenarios during pregnancy and lactation that are likely to be experienced within the Australian sheep industry.
References
Black JL (1974) Manipulation of body composition through nutrition. Proceedings Australian Society Animal Production 10, 211–218.De Blasio MJ, Gatford KL, Robinson JS, Owens JS (2007) Placental restriction of fetal growth reduces size at birth and alters postnatal growth, feeding activity, and adiposity in the young lamb. The American Journal of Physiology 292, R875–R886.
Ferguson MB, Adams NR, Robertson IRD (2007) Implications of selection for meat or wool traits on maternal performance in Merinos. Proceedings of the Association for the Advancement of Animal Breeding and Genetics 17, 195–198.
Ferguson MB, Young JM, Kearney G, Gardiner GE, Robertson IRD, Thompson AN (2010) The value of fatness in Merinos ewes differs with production environment. Animal Production Science 51, 866–872.
Ferguson MB, Thompson AN, Gordon DJ, Hyder MW, Kearney GA, Oldham CM, Paganoni BL (2011) The wool production and reproduction of Merino ewes can be predicted from changes in liveweight during pregnancy and lactation. Animal Production Science 51, 763–775.
| The wool production and reproduction of Merino ewes can be predicted from changes in liveweight during pregnancy and lactation.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Gardner DS, Tingey K, Van Bon BWM, Ozanne SE, Wilson V, Dandrea J, Keisler DH, Stephenson T, Symonds ME (2005) Programming of glucose-insulin metabolism in adult sheep after maternal under nutrition. The American Journal of Physiology 289, R974–R954.
Gardner GE, Williams A, Siddell J, Ball AJ, Mortimer S, Jacob RH, Pearce KL, Hocking-Edwards JE, Rowe JB, Pethick DW (2010) Using Australian Sheep Breeding Values to increase lean meat yield percentage. Animal Production Science 50, 1098–1105.
| Using Australian Sheep Breeding Values to increase lean meat yield percentage.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Genstat Committee (2008) ‘Genstat for Windows.’ 11th edn. (VSN International: Hertfordshire, UK)
Gopalakrishnan GS, Gardner DS, Rhind SM, Rae MT, Kyle CE, Brooks AN, Walker RM, Ramsay MM, Keisler DH, Stephenson T, Symonds ME (2004) Programming of adult cardiovascular function after early maternal under nutrition of sheep. The American Journal of Physiology 287, R12–R20.
Greenwood PL, Hunt AS, Hermanson JW, Bell AW (1998) Effects of birth weight and postnatal nutrition on neonatal sheep. I Body growth and composition, and some aspects of energetic efficiency. Journal of Animal Science 76, 2354–2367.
Greenwood PL, Hunt AS, Hermanson JW, Bell AW (2000) Effects of birth weight and postnatal nutrition on neonatal sheep, II. Skeletal muscle growth and development. Journal of Animal Science 78, 50–61.
Greenwood PL, Thompson AN, Ford SP (2010) Postnatal consequences of the maternal environment and of growth during prenatal life for productivity of ruminants. In ‘Managing prenatal development to enhance livestock productivity’. (Eds PL Greenwood, AW Bell, PE Vercoe, GJ Viljoen) pp. 7–14. (International Atomic Energy Agency: Springer, Dordrecht)
Jefferies BC (1961) Body condition scoring and its use in management. Tasmanian Journal of Agriculture 32, 19–21.
Louey S, Cock ML, Harding R (2005) Long-term consequences of low birth weight on postnatal growth, adiposity and brain weight at maturity in sheep. The Journal of Reproduction and Development 51, 59–68.
| Long-term consequences of low birth weight on postnatal growth, adiposity and brain weight at maturity in sheep.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Oldham CM, Thompson AN, Paganoni BL, Ferguson MB, Kearney G (2011) The birth weight and survival of Merino lambs can be predicted from the pattern of change of liveweight of their mothers during pregnancy. Animal Production Science 51, 776–783.
| The birth weight and survival of Merino lambs can be predicted from the pattern of change of liveweight of their mothers during pregnancy.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Schinckel PG, Short BF (1961) The influence of nutritional level during pre-natal and early post-natal life on adult fleece and body characteristics. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 12, 176–201.
| The influence of nutritional level during pre-natal and early post-natal life on adult fleece and body characteristics.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Thompson AN (2006) Poor ewe nutrition during pregnancy increases fatness of their progeny. Livestock Updates, Department of Agriculture and Food, Perth.
Thompson AN, Doyle PT, Grimm M (1994) Effects of differential grazing of annual pastures in spring on sheep and wool production. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 45, 367–389.
| Effects of differential grazing of annual pastures in spring on sheep and wool production.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Thompson AN, Ferguson MB, Gordon DJ, Kearney GA, Oldham CM, Paganoni BL (2011a) Improving the nutrition of Merino ewes during pregnancy increases the fleece weight and reduces the fibre diameter of their progeny’s wool during their lifetime and these effects can be predicted from the ewe’s liveweight profile. Animal Production Science 51, 794–804.
| Improving the nutrition of Merino ewes during pregnancy increases the fleece weight and reduces the fibre diameter of their progeny’s wool during their lifetime and these effects can be predicted from the ewe’s liveweight profile.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Thompson AN, Ferguson MB, Campbell A, Gordon DJ, Kearney GA, Oldham CM, Paganoni BL (2011b) Improving the nutrition of Merino ewes during pregnancy and lactation increases weaning weight and survival of progeny but does not affect their mature size. Animal Production Science 51, 784–793.
| Improving the nutrition of Merino ewes during pregnancy and lactation increases weaning weight and survival of progeny but does not affect their mature size.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Villette Y, Theriez M (1981) Influence of birth weight on lamb performances. II. Carcass and chemical composition of lambs slaughtered at the same weight. Annales de Zootechnie 30, 169–182.
| Influence of birth weight on lamb performances. II. Carcass and chemical composition of lambs slaughtered at the same weight.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Young JM, Thompson AN, Curnow M, Oldham CM (2011) Whole farm profit and the optimum maternal liveweight profile of Merino ewe flocks lambing in winter and spring are influenced by the effects of ewe nutrition on the progeny’s survival and lifetime wool production. Animal Production Science 51, 821–833.
| Whole farm profit and the optimum maternal liveweight profile of Merino ewe flocks lambing in winter and spring are influenced by the effects of ewe nutrition on the progeny’s survival and lifetime wool production.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
