Document Type
Article
Date of Original Version
2023
Department
Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Science
Abstract
When creating any new anti-parasitic interventions, it is important to evaluate their effects across all life stages. This study had three objectives, which were to evaluate the effect of feeding cranberry vine pellet (CVP) on (1) ewes’ body weights and BCS during late gestation and lactation; (2) ewes’ milk quality during lactation; and (3) lambs’ body weight and growth parameters from birth to 65 days of age. Across two years, 41 Dorset ewes were fed either a 50% CVP or a matching control pellet (CON) from 104 ± 1.60 days of gestation for 62.8 ± 0.68 days of lactation. Measurements were collected from ewes (BW, BCS, and milk) and lambs (BW and body size). Milk from CVP ewes exhibited reduced milk fat and solids (p < 0.01) and increased concentrations of milk urea nitrogen (p = 0.02) when evaluated for the treatment–time. There was no significant difference in the BCS, protein, lamb BW, or growth measurements for treatment–time (p ≥ 0.05). Additional research that targets blood biochemistry and metabolic assessments is needed to fully determine the impact of this pellet on ewes and lambs.
Publication Title, e.g., Journal
Animals
Volume
13
Issue
12
Citation/Publisher Attribution
Smith, D., Petersson, K., & Peterson, M. L. (2023). Determining the Effects of Pelleted Cranberry Vine Grains on the Ewe and Offspring during Pregnancy and Lactation. Animals, 13(12), 1989. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13121989 Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13121989
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.