Stress from transport may be linked to increased generation of reactive oxygen species, the removal of which requires reduced glutathione and selenium. The aim of this experiment was to examine the effect of transport on glutathione and Se status of feeder lambs. Recently weaned lambs (n = 40) were blocked by gender and BW on d 0 of the experiment and randomly assigned to 2 treatment groups: gr...

Thirty-two Suffolk wether lambs were fed for 84 d in a 2 x 2 factorial experiment using two levels of dietary protein (9.0 to 12.1% CP, low protein, LP; or 12.8 to 14.4% CP, high protein, HP) and supplemental Cr (none, C; or 400 ppb Cr as chromium tripicolinate, Cr). At 14- to 21-d intervals, lambs were weighed, and jugular blood samples were collected. Mean ADG and carcass weight (P > .10) did...

Although neonatal farm animals are frequently subjected to painful management procedures, the role of maternal behaviour in pain coping, has not been much studied. We investigated whether ewes were able to distinguish between lambs in pain and those that were not, and whether their behaviour altered depending on the severity of lamb pain. Eighty male lambs were allocated to one of 4 pain treatm...

Twin-bearing Targhee ewes (Exp. 1, 1 yr, n = 42) and 1,182 single- and twin-bearing whiteface range ewes (Exp. 2, n = 8 experimental units over 2 yr) were used in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments to determine the effect of supplemental energy source and level of vitamin E supplement on lamb serum metabolites and thermogenesis (Exp. 1) and on lamb growth (Exp. 2). During late gestatio...

This study evaluated the effects of tannins on ruminal biohydrogenation (BH) due to shifts in the ruminal microbial environment in sheep. Thirteen lambs (45 days of age) were assigned to two dietary treatments: seven lambs were fed a barley-based concentrate (control group) while the other six lambs received the same concentrate with supplemental quebracho tannins (9.57% of dry matter). At 122 ...

In order to characterize the epidemiology of sheep gastrointestinal nematodes in organic and conventional flocks in Canada, a longitudinal study was carried out from May 2006 to March 2008 on 32 purposively selected farms in Ontario (ON) and Quebec (QC): 8 certified organic (CO), 16 non-certified organic (NCO), and 8 conventional (C) farms. On each farm, 10 ewes and 10 female lambs were selecte...

The study on availability of cow colostrum (C) and cow colostrum protein concentrate (CC) derived from membrane filtration was conducted on Olkuska breed lambs. The lambs were assigned to 4 groups receiving IgG addition in cow colostrum or colostrum concentrate: group I – control, group II – 7.49g IgG in 150 ml C, group III – 7.09 IgG in 125 ml CC, and group IV – 14.18 IgG in 250 ml CC. The lam...

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...

Abrupt weaning, a usual management in sheep productive systems, may provoke behavioural and physiological responses indicative of stress in ewes and lambs. Progesterone (P4) has anxiolytic and sedative effects through the union of its metabolites that contain 3α-hydroxyl group to the γ-aminobutyricacidA receptor. Our first aim was to determine whether P4 administration reduces the behavioural a...

Experimental study included 15 lambs which were divided into 3 groups; each group consisted of 5 lambs. A commercial CaseBac vaccine was used to vaccinate group II, while others groups served as positive and negative controls. All lambs in group II were received two doses of vaccine at four weeks interval. The lambs in groups II and III were challenged S/C with 9 x 10 CFU virulent isolated stra...