BACKGROUND Classical scrapie is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) that affects sheep and goats. Our previous bioassay studies in lambs revealed that scrapie prions could be detected in association with peripheral blood monocular cells (PBMC), B lymphocytes and platelet-rich plasma fractions. In the present study, bioassay in lambs was again used to determine if scrapie prions are ...

We hypothesized that lambs discriminate the postingestive effects of P and associate those effects with feed flavor to modify feed choices. Three predictions were tested based on this hypothesis: 1) lambs will modify preference for arbitrary flavors eaten during intraruminal infusions of NaH2PO4, 2) changes in preferences are more specific than changes in osmotic load induced by salts of Na; an...

This study determined whether early experiences by sheep with monotonous or diverse diets influence intake of unfamiliar flavors and feeds later in life. Thirty 2-mo-old lambs were randomly assigned to 3 treatment diets (n = 10): diverse (DIV), diverse with plant toxins (DIV+T), and monotonous (MON). Lambs in DIV received in 9 successive periods of exposure 4-way choice combinations of 2 foods ...

This study was conducted at the college of agriculture – Al-Qasim Green University to investigate effect breed and age dams on several growth traits two sheep breeds, including 123 Iraqi Awassi 78 Iranian Karakul breeds. Variables were examined in present study, namely body weight (BW), length (BL), wither height (WH), rump (RH), chest circumference (CC), abdominal (AC). Results indicated absen...

Thirty six male Chall lambs (four-month old and 26  ±1.5 kg body weight) were randomly assigned into four treatments (nine lambs per treatment) to study the effect of Powerfeed® (a commercial mixture made from wheat processing by-product and wheat bran) on weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, serum sodium and potassium concentration and urine pH. Lambs in control group were fed with...

Lambs with the myostatin (MSTN) g+6723G>A mutation have a greater muscle mass, which is believed to be associated with reduced myostatin protein abundance. This experiment was designed to determine if differences in allelic frequency of the MSTN g+6723G>A mutation affected abundance of myostatin protein from birth to 24 wk of age. A Poll Dorset cross White Suffolk ram (MSTN A/G) was mated to 35...

Excretory-secretory products (ESP) of myiasis producing agents are involved in nutrition and development of larvae and are often immunogens. This study was carried out in order to define the antigenicity, the immunogenicity of Oestrus ovis ESP and the role of sheep immune response to ESP. Twenty-four six to eight month old female lambs were randomly allocated into two groups. The first one was ...

Two / 2 East Friesian (EF), one / 4 EF, one / 8 EF, and several Dorset rams were mated to crossbred ewes from 1993 through 1996. Growth, reproduction, and lactation performance of their progeny were compared. EF-cross lambs had greater birth, weaning, and postweaning weights than Dorset-cross lambs. When lambing at one and two years of age, EF-cross ewes gave birth to and reared more lambs per ...

Abstract Gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) are detrimental to the health and productivity of sheep across world, necessitating genetic selection for improved GIN resistance. In this study, we used genomic analyses across- within- two important breeds in United States (US), Rambouillet Dorper, investigate physiological mechanisms associated with Genomic data were evaluated from experiments where ...

1. Studies were conducted to measure the influence of perinatal undernutrition of twin-bearing ewes on ewe milk yields and lamb performance in early lactation. Comparative studies were conducted with lambs to measure the effects of postnatal nutrition on lamb performance and carcass composition. The major objective of this work was to determine the extent of the influence of postnatal nutrition...