Nutritonal status of adult ewes during early and mid-pregnancy. 1. Effects of plane of nutrition on ewe reproduction and offspring performance to weaning

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of plane of nutrition during early and mid-pregnancy on the performance of mature ewes and their offspring. From day 0 to day 39 post mating (early pregnancy, EP), 82 multiparous ewes were fed to provide either 60% (low, L), 100% (medium, M) or 200% (high, H) of predicted metabolisable energy (ME) requirements for maintenance, following a synchronised mating. From day 40 to day 90 (mid-pregnancy, MP), ewes were provided with either 80% (M) or 140% (H) of ME requirements. After 90 days of gestation, all ewes were fed to meet requirements for late pregnancy. During EP, mean live weight (LW) and body condition score (BCS) change of ewes were -6.3, -0.8 and +6.0kg and -0.02, +0.10 and +0.22 units in the L-, M- and H-EP treatments, respectively. During MP, mean LW and BCS change were -0.8 and +4.9kg and -0.09 and +0.09 units in the M- and H-MP treatments, respectively (P 0. 05) on conception rate, although there tended to be an inverse relationship (P = 0.085) between plane of nutrition in EP and plasma progesterone concentrations at day 42 of gestation. EP nutrition influenced foetal development with lambs from ewes offered diet L-EP being smaller (P

Nutritional status of adult ewes during early and mid-pregnancy. 2. Effects of supplementation with selenised yeast on ewe reproduction and offspring performance to weaning

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of selenium (Se) supplementation of mature ewes in the period from day - 14 to day 90 post mating on Se status, productivity and viability of ewes and their offspring. Multiparous crossbred ewes (n = 82) were randomly assigned to receive a standard dried grass-based diet (control) or dried grass diet supplemented with 1 g of selenised yeast (Selplex (R)), providing 0.5 mg Se per ewe per day. After day 90 post mating, all ewes were offered grass-based diets supplemented with a standard multivitamin and mineral mix, up to lambing. Ewes that were fed additional Se had increased (P 0,05). Supplemented ewes weaned lambs on average 2 kg heavier than control ewes, due to the higher (P

Influence of social status on the welfare of growing pigs housed in barren and enriched environments

One hundred and twenty-eight pigs were reared in barren or enriched environments from birth to slaughter at 21 weeks of age. Pigs remained as litter-mate groups until 8 weeks of age when they were mixed into groups of eight animals. These groups were balanced for gender and weight and contained two pigs from each of four different litters. Each pig was assigned high or low social status on the basis of relative success in aggressive interactions at mixing. Injury levels were assessed on a weekly basis from 8 to 2 1 weeks of age. Pigs were exposed to two group food competition tests after a period of food restriction at 10 weeks of age, and to an individual novel pen test at 11 weeks of age. Behavioural and plasma cortisol responses to both types of test were recorded. Low social status was associated with increased injuries to the head, neck and ears, and therefore reduced welfare. Pigs with low social status showed reduced resource-holding ability in the food competition test, and greater avoidance of a novel object during the novel pen test. It is suggested that avoidance of the novel object reflected 'learned' fearfulness in these individuals. Environmental enrichment did not negate the effect of low social status on injury levels, but did appear to reduce the negative influence of low social status on stress during food restriction, and led to a reduction in fearfulness in response to the novel pen test. These results suggest that environmental enrichment may improve the we/fare of growing pigs with low social status.

Influence of social status on the welfare of sows in static and dynamic groups

Forty-eight Large White x Landrace multiparous sows were mixed into twelve groups of four animals after their piglets were weaned. These groups were defined as static, with no animals being added to or removed from the groups after their formation. Aggressive and submissive behaviours were recorded continuously for 9 h after the sows were mixed, and the sows were assigned high or low social status on the basis of their relative aggressiveness and success in aggressive interactions. After five weeks, each static group was mixed into a dynamic group of 40+/-2 sows for an 11-week period. Three static groups (ie 12 animals) at a time were added to the dynamic group at three-week intervals; the same number of animals was removed at these time-points in order to maintain the group number at 40+/-2. Injury levels increased significantly with the transition from static groups to the dynamic group (P