Influences of Maternal Undernutrition on Placental Development and Birth Weight in Sheep

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of maternal feeding status on placental characteristics and lamb birth weight in mid-gestational period in sheep. The study was carried out in a private sheep farm in Erzincan during the lambing period of 2018 (39°80′N, 40°03′E and 1617 m above sea level). In our study, Morkaraman ewes with 50 heads in 3rd lactation was used. Sheep were divided into two groups. The first group was fed only on pasture until the 80th day of pregnancy; the second group is feed 100% of the daily energy needs of ration between 30-80. days. Although live weight differences between groups were statistically insignificant in mating and 80th days; On the 30th day and at birth there was a statistically significant difference. In our study, significant differences were found between the groups in terms of BW (p <0.01), PE and ACSA (p <0.05). In our study, lamb birth weight was 11.3% higher in the treatment group. The highest BW, PE and ACSA were observed in the treatment group. The results obtained from this study showed that maternal nutrition level between 30th and 80th day was effective on birth weight (P <0.01), placental weight, placental activity and average cotyledon surface area (P <0.01). While there was no significant correlation between birth weight and placental and cotyledon characteristics in the control group, a positive correlation (r =, 829, P <0.01) was found between birth weight and placental weight (r =, 465, P <0.05) and cotyledon number in the treatment group. These data show that in the livestock industry, the manipulation of the mother in terms of nutrition in the prenatal period or the prevention of restricted feeding based only on pasture will affect birth weight, newborn losses, average daily live weight gain, market weight, healthy meat production economy and profitability.