Abstract / Description of output
Maternal undernutrition in pregnancy results in low birth-weights and impaired postnatal survival in sheep. Largely anecdotal evidence suggests that the expression of appropriate maternal and neonate behaviours may also be disrupted by undernutrition. In the present study, we investigated the effect of a moderate (35 %) reduction in ewe nutritional intake in pregnancy on the expression of ewe-lamb bonding behaviours in primiparous Scottish Blackface ewes. Low-intake (L) ewes had significantly higher plasma progesterone than high-intake (H) ewes from mid-gestation onwards (e.g. plasma progesterone at 20 weeks (ng/ml): H 15.72, L 22.38, SED 1.80, P
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 123-136 |
Number of pages | 14 |
Journal | British Journal of Nutrition |
Volume | 89 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jan 2003 |
Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)
- food restriction
- pregnancy
- maternal behaviour
- neonate behaviour
- SCOTTISH BLACKFACE SHEEP
- VAGINOCERVICAL STIMULATION
- COLOSTRUM PRODUCTION
- METABOLIC CHANGES
- UDDER DEVELOPMENT
- PERINATAL-PERIOD
- MULTIPAROUS EWES
- FETAL GROWTH
- NEWBORN LAMB
- DAIRY SHEEP