title: Vitamin E supplementation of undernourished ewes pre- and post-lambing reduces weight loss of ewes and increases weight of lambs.
abstract: The aim of this study was to test if vitamin E supplementation during late gestation and early lactation would affect the weight of ewes under nutritional restriction and the performance of their lambs. Mature Rambouillet ewes (n = 37) were fed a diet that supplied 70 % of the energy and 80 % of recommended protein requirements and randomly assigned to either vitamin E (vit E, n = 20, 4 IU of α-tocopherol kg(-1) of live weight) or control (n = 17, without vitamin E supplementation). During the experimental period, the mean weight of ewes decreased from 74.6 ± 2.4 to 58.1 ± 2.2 kg. Weight loss of ewes was slightly less for the vit E than the control (-65 vs -124 g day(-1), SEM = 46; P = 0.07). Lambs born from vit E-supplemented ewes were heavier than lambs from the control and grew significantly faster (239 vs 195 g day(-1), SEM = 29.3, P < 0.05) with heavier weights at weaning (16.5 vs 13.5 kg, SEM = 1.8, P < 0.05). Besides, birth weight, weaning weight and daily weight gain favoured to single lambs and to male lambs (P < 0.05). Weaning weight was positively correlated to birth weight (P < 0.05) and weight gain (P < 0.001). When the nutrient requirements for ewes are not met, supplementation of vitamin E during late gestation and early lactation might be an effective strategy to minimise ewe weight loss as well as to increase lamb growth.
authors.affiliation: Campo Experimental San Luis, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales Agrícolas y Pecuarias, 78431, San Luis Potosí, México. nieto_cesar@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: César Augusto
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Rosales Nieto
authors.affiliation: Unidad Regional Universitaria de Zonas Áridas, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, 35230, Bermejillo, Durango, México.
authors.forename: César Alberto
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Meza-Herrera
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, 78321, San Luis Potosí, México.
authors.forename: Felipe de Jesús
authors.initials: Fde J
authors.lastname: Moron Cedillo
authors.affiliation: Campo Experimental Zacatecas, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales Agrícolas y Pecuarias, Calera de Víctor Rosales, 98500, Zacatecas, México.
authors.forename: Manuel de Jesús
authors.initials: Mde J
authors.lastname: Flores Najera
authors.affiliation: Campo Experimental San Luis, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales Agrícolas y Pecuarias, 78431, San Luis Potosí, México.
authors.forename: Hector Guillermo
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Gámez Vázquez
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, 78321, San Luis Potosí, México.
authors.forename: Felipe de Jesús
authors.initials: Fde J
authors.lastname: Ventura Pérez
authors.affiliation: UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia.
authors.forename: Shimin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000502:physiology; D001724:Birth Weight; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D007774:Lactation; D008297:Male; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D011247:Pregnancy; D012756:Sheep / Q000502:physiology*; D014810:Vitamin E
chemical_list: D014810:Vitamin E
keywords: Birth weight; Nutritional restriction; Vitamin E; Weaning weight; Weight gain