Effect of birth difficulty on ewe maternal behaviour and lamb survival

Maternal ingestion of locoweed I. Effects on ewe–lamb bonding and behaviour

This study investigated whether exposure of ewes to locoweed (Oxytropis sericea; Leguminosae) during gestation would affect ewe behaviour during parturition, ewe–lamb bonding and related behaviours postpartum, and maternal responsiveness of ewes to alien and own lambs. Twenty-nine nulliparous Columbia-Targhee ewes bearing a single fetus were divided into two feeding treatments: (1) locoweed (L,...

Maternal behaviour and lamb survival: from neuroendocrinology to practical application.

Parental care promotes offspring survival and, for livestock species, this care is provided solely by the mother. Maternal behaviour in the sheep has been exceptionally well-studied compared with other species and many of the underpinning biological processes leading to the expression of maternal care are known. In this review the current state of play with regard to the biology of maternal car...

Metabolic maturity at birth and neonate lamb survival: association among maternal factors, litter size, lamb birth weight, and plasma metabolic and endocrine factors on survival and behavior.

This paper reports an investigation into metabolic and endocrine maturity in the neonate lamb and the relationships between litter size, birth weight, and maternal metabolic and endocrine variables on behavior at birth and survival over the first 72 h of life. Data were from multiparous, fine-wool Merino ewes (n = 150; equal numbers of single-lamb and twin-lamb bearing status) lambed on pasture...

Male Heterosis Effect on Lamb Production Traits of the Ewe

Maternal ingestion of locoweed III. Effects on lamb behaviour at birth

Locoweed (Oxytropis sericea) is a toxic plant commonly found on rangelands in the western United States. The locoweed toxin is an indolizidine alkaloid, swainsonine that causes neurological and systemic damage. The objective of this study was to determine if feeding of locoweed to pregnant ewes during days 100–130 of gestation would affect lamb behaviour shortly after birth. Twenty yearling nul...