Performance and maternal-offspring behavior of ewes fed protected fat from palm oil

Autor: Vicente de Paulo Macedo, Valter Oshiro Vilela, João Ari Gualberto Hill, Guilherme Batista dos Santos, Emilyn Midori Maeda, Renata Negri
Rok vydání: 2020
Předmět:
Zdroj: Semina: Ciências Agrárias. 41:1027
ISSN: 1679-0359
1676-546X
DOI: 10.5433/1679-0359.2020v41n3p1027
Popis: This study aimed to evaluate the performance and maternal-offspring behavior of ewes fed protected fat from palm oil. Forty multiparous ewes with an average age of three years were divided into two treatments, with or without protected fat supplementation (in concentrate). Every 15 days and at the time of lambing, weighing and body condition evaluation of sheep were performed, while lambs were evaluated at birth until weaning. Duration of post-weaning anestrus was obtained through the manifestation of estrus, detected by a vasectomized male. Data were submitted to analysis of variance. No difference was observed between supplementations for body weight, body condition score, and average daily gain during the gestation phase. Ewes fed protected fat had a superiority regarding the body score during the lactation phase. Lambs from ewes supplemented with protected fat were weaned faster, and ewes presented an early estrus. No difference was observed between treatments for maternal-offspring behavior. The use of fat during lactation showed improvement in productive (body condition score) and reproductive (shorter anestrus period) parameters. It also reduces the weaning age of lambs and does not alter maternal-offspring behavior.
Databáze: OpenAIRE