Title
The association of serum β-hydroxybutyrate concentration with fetal number and health indicators in late-gestation ewes in commercial meat flocks in Prince Edward Island
Date Issued
01 June 2018
Access level
metadata only access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Ratanapob N.
VanLeeuwen J.
McKenna S.
Wichtel M.
Menzies P.
Wichtel J.
University of Prince Edward Island
Publisher(s)
Elsevier B.V.
Abstract
Late-gestation ewes are susceptible to ketonemia resulting from high energy requirement for fetal growth during the last few weeks of pregnancy. High lamb mortality is a possible consequence of effects of ketonemia on both ewes and lambs. Determining risk factors to ketonemia is a fundamental step to identify ewes at risk, in order to avoid losses caused by ketonemia. Serum β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) concentrations of 384 late-gestation ewe samples were determined. Physical examinations, including body condition, FAMACHA© and hygiene scoring, were performed. Udders and teeth were also examined. Fecal floatation was performed to detect gastrointestinal helminth eggs of the ewe fecal samples. General feeding management practices and season at sampling were recorded. Litter sizes were retrieved from lambing records. Factors associated with log serum BHBA concentration were determined using a linear mixed model, with flock and lambing groups as random effects. The mean serum BHBA concentration was 545.8 (±453.3) μmol/l. Ewes with a body condition score (BCS) of 2.5–3.5 had significantly lower log BHBA concentrations than ewes with a BCS of ≤2.0, by 19.7% (p = 0.035). Ewes with a BCS of >3.5 had a trend toward higher log BHBA concentrations compared to ewes with a BCS of 2.5–3.5. Ewes with a FAMACHA© score of 3 had significantly higher log BHBA concentrations than ewes with a FAMACHA© score of 1 or 2, by 12.1% (p = 0.049). Ewes in which gastrointestinal helminth eggs were detected had significantly higher log BHBA concentrations than ewes in which helminth eggs were not detected, by 12.3% (p = 0.040). An increased litter size was associated with higher log BHBA concentration (p ≤ 0.003), with the log BHBA concentrations of ewes having twins, triplets, and quadruplets or quintuplets were higher than those of ewes having singleton by 19.2%, 30.4%, and 85.2%, respectively. Season at sampling confounded the association between log BHBA concentration and FAMACHA© score, and therefore was retained in the final model even though it was not statistically significant. Intra-class correlation coefficients at the flock and lambing group levels were 0.14 and 0.32, respectively.
Start page
18
End page
22
Volume
154
OCDE Knowledge area
Crías y mascotas
Ciencia veterinaria
Subjects
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85044136334
PubMed ID
Source
Preventive Veterinary Medicine
ISSN of the container
01675877
Sponsor(s)
We would like to thank participating PEI sheep producers, our project technician, Jane Saunders-Jewell, for her assistance with field works, and Theresa Andrews for her assistance with medical supplies. This study was funded by the Province of PEI Agriculture Research and Innovation Program (Growing Forward) .
Sources of information:
Directorio de Producción Científica
Scopus