Milk production and lamb growth were characterized in 118 multiparous, 3- to 7-yr-old Rambouillet, Columbia, Polypay, and Suffolk ewes under spring sage range and high mountain meadow grazing from 28 to 98 d postpartum. Daily milk yield as measured by the lamb suckling weight differential technique did not differ (P greater than .05) among breeds, although milk production of Suffolk ewes tended...

Thirteen crossbred ewes were used to compare weigh-suckle-weigh (WSW) and machine milking (MM) methods for determining milk production of ewes that were rearing single or twin lambs. At parturition, ewes were 13 mo of age and produced six single lambs and seven pairs of twin lambs. Milk production estimates were initiated on d 6 of lactation and a 3-d rotation of the two techniques was implemen...

Crossbreeding of four Iranian fat-tailed sheep breeds, namely Kurdi (K), Chaal (C), Afshari (A) and Sanjabi (S) was carried out to determine the ram breed effects on productivity of Kurdi fat-tailed ewes (K) under extensive production system. A total of 475 Kurdi ewes were mated to 24 rams from the above four breeds resulting in 454 lambs. Ram breed had a significant influence on early growth t...

The influence of separation from dam on suckling behavior of lambs was tested from day 5 after lambing until the lambs were 8 days old. The twelve ewes with their lambs were randomly assigned in equal numbers to two treatments; separating from dam (S) and non-separating without suckling (NS). Separation from dam resulted in lower duration and higher frequency of suckling. The lambs in S treatme...

1. Chronically cannulated sheep foetuses and suckling lambs were injected with 14C-labelled glucose, fructose or lactate, and sequential blood samples taken under conditions of minimal stress and without anaesthesia. 2. Gluconeogenesis from lactate was not detectable in foetal sheep, but the pathway was active in suckling lambs. 3. Fructose utilization rates were low in foetal sheep, with no me...

Effects of partial docking on feedlot performance and body fat characteristics were studied in a fat-tailed sheep breed. Thirty-eight male lambs with an average weight of 4.44 ± 0.48 were randomly divided into two groups. The lambs in one group were partially docked at 3-4 h after birth, using rubber rings, and the lambs in another group remained intact (control). After weaning, 20 male lambs f...

The effects of synbiotic supplementation to the Moghani suckling lambs diet were investigated using 18 lambs (initial BW 5-6 kg, age 3±2 day) were divided into 3 groups and fed experimental diets for 90 days. The dietary treatments were: 1) control (lambs were fed with mother’s milk, along with their normal diets), 2) control + 3 g of synbiotic and control and 3) control + 6 g of synbiotic for ...

The objectives of the current study were to 1) determine whether a fish-meal-supplemented diet fed to ewes during late gestation and early lactation would increase the proportion of docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3) in colostrum and milk and 2) examine the subsequent effect on the plasma fatty acid profile of nursing lambs. Eight gestating ewes (Rideau-Arcott; 97 +/- 5 kg of initial BW; 100 d of g...

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of an experimental formulation of toltrazuril 7.5% + Trimix™ on a naturally acquired infection of Eimeria spp. in suckling lambs kept on pasture and, in another trial, evaluate the comparative efficacy between lasalocid and toltrazuril 7.5% + Trimix™ in newly weaned sheep under feedlot conditions that had been naturally infected with Eime...