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Can feeding fish oil and vitamin E to pregnant ewes help lamb survival?

A study of the effect on lamb vigour of feeding supplementary vitamin E and fish oil to pregnant ewes.

Year of Publication2010

Survival of newborn lambs is affected by their ability to stand up and suckle quickly and withstand cold temperatures. The study concluded that supplementing the diet of pregnant ewes with fish oil shortens the time taken for lambs to suckle after being born, and increases the gestation length. However, more work is needed to investigate the adverse effects of fish oil on colostrum production. Feeding supplementary vitamin E to pregnant and lactating ewes can alter the levels of vitamin E in the body of newborn and young lambs.

This item is categorised as follows

• Subject Collection > Livestock & dairy
• Subject Collection > Livestock & dairy > Veterinary practice
• Subject Collection > Livestock & dairy > Animal health & welfare
• Subject Collection > Livestock & dairy > Sheep production

Additional keywords/tags

lamb nutritionsheep feedingsheep nutritionlamb feedingcolostrumewe feedingewe nutrition