Large or Food Animal and Equine Medicine Commons^™

The Effects Of Pre-Parturient Nutrient Restriction On Milk Production, Milk Fat Percentage, Milk Fatty Acid Profile, And Lamb Growth In Sheep, Dakota Murray

All Theses

Cross-bred ewes carrying twins, confirmed via ultrasound, were split into two groups: nutrient-restricted (NR), n=15, and control (CON), n=16. On day (d) 86, at 60% of the NRC requirements, nutrient restriction began and lasted until parturition, at which point ewes were placed back onto a regular diet. After parturition, milk samples and lamb weights were taken on days 1, 7, 14, and 21. Milk lipids were then extracted using modified methods proposed by Hara and Radin (1978). Lipid samples were weighed and then methylated following the procedure outlined by Lock and colleagues (2013). Methylated samples were then analyzed by gas …