Hostname: page-component-7dd5485656-6kn8j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-10-31T05:14:41.231Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Changes in the secretion rate and production of colostrum by ewes over the first 24 h post partum

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

S. E. Pattinson ,
D. A. R. Davies  and
A. C. Winter
S. E. Pattinson
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Clinical Science and Animal Husbandry, University of Liverpool, Veterinary Field Station, Leahurst, Neston, South Wirral L64 7TE
D. A. R. Davies
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Clinical Science and Animal Husbandry, University of Liverpool, Veterinary Field Station, Leahurst, Neston, South Wirral L64 7TE
A. C. Winter
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Clinical Science and Animal Husbandry, University of Liverpool, Veterinary Field Station, Leahurst, Neston, South Wirral L64 7TE
Get access

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to examine the changes in colostrum secretion rate and colostrum composition in ewes over the first 24 h post partum. Sixteen mature Suffolk × Cambridge ewes, which had produced one to four lambs, were used. Colostrum yield was estimated within 1 h of parturition and colostrum secretion rate measured between 3 and 6 h, 9 and 12 h, 15 and 18 h and 21 and 24 h post partum. Samples of colostrum were taken at each milking and the composition analysed. The mean yield (g) of colostrum at 1 h was 801 (s.d. 568·9) with a range from 35 to 2450 g. Mean secretion rates, in g/h, at 3 to 6 h, 9 to 12 h, 15 to 18 h and 21 to 24 h were 120 (s.d. 67·0), 104 (s.d. 55·2), 112 (s.d. 49·8) and 109 (s.d. 41·1) respectively. At 1 h, mean concentrations, in g/l, of total solids, fat, protein, ash and IgG were 367 (s.d. 76·9), 132 (s.d. 43·7), 203 (s.d. 43·2), 9.6 (s.d. 2·4) and 116 (s.d. 30·2) respectively. Corresponding values at 24 h were 242 (s.d. 38·8), 122 (s.d. 39·5), 71 (s.d. 11·2), 6.8 (s.d. 1·0) and 15 (s.d. 12·5).

Sequential samples were taken throughout the milking process within 1 h of paturition from a further eight Dorset-cross ewes. There were no significant differences in the composition of colostrum due to stage of milking, although there was a suggestion that fat content was higher in the final sample than the first (140·1 v. 104·1 g/l, P = 0·084). It is clear that there is a large amount of variation in the secretion rate and composition of colostrum produced by ewes over the first 24 h post partum. However, a single sample taken between 3 and 12 h post partum would be a good indicator of 24 h yield (r = 0·88) and composition (total solids, r = 0·90 and IgG, r = 0·93).

Keywords

colostrumewes

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 61 , Issue 1 , August 1995 , pp. 63 - 68
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1995

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Blaxter, K. L. 1952. The nutrition of the young Ayrshire calf. 6. The utilization of the energy of whole milk. British journal of Nutrition 6:12–19.Google Scholar
Campbell, S. G. 1974. Experimental colostrum deprivation in lambs. British Veterinary Journal 130:538–542.Google Scholar
Campbell, S. G., Siegel, M. J. and Knowlton, B. J. 1977. Sheep immunoglobulins and their transmission to the neonatal lamb. New Zealand Veterinary Journal 25:361–365.Google Scholar
Eales, F. A. and Small, J. 1980. Summit metabolism in newborn lambs. Research in Veterinary Science 29:211–218.Google Scholar
Fahey, J. L. and McKelvey, E. M. 1965. Quantitative determination of serum immunoglobulins in antibody agar plates. Journal of Immunology 94:84–90.Google Scholar
Gardner, R. W., Hogue, D. E. and Bensadoun, A. 1964. Body composition and efficiency of growth of suckling lambs as affected by level of feed intake, journal of Animal Science 23:943–952.Google Scholar
Hall, D. G. and Egan, A. R. 1988. Variation in colostrum levels in crossbred ewes with varying litter sizes. Proceedings of the Australian Society of Animal Production 17:411.Google Scholar
Halliday, R. 1965. The transfer of antibodies from ewes to their lambs. Journal of Immunology 95:510–516.Google Scholar
Halliday, R. 1971. Total serum protein and immunoglobulin concentrations in Scottish Blackface and Merino lambs at birth and during the first two days of suckling. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 77:463–466.Google Scholar
Halliday, R. 1978. Immunoglobulin concentrations in Scottish Blackface lambs on a hill farm. Research in Veterinary Science 24:264–266.Google Scholar
Mancini, G., Carbonara, A. E. and Heremans, J. F. 1965. Immunochemical quantitations of antigens by single radial immunodiffusion. Immunochemistry 2:235.Google Scholar
Mellor, D. J. and Murray, L. 1985. Effects of maternal nutrition on the availability of energy in the body reserves of foetuses at term and in the colostrum Scottish Blackface ewes with twin lambs. Research in Veterinary Science 39:235–240.Google Scholar
Mellor, D. J. and Murray, L. 1986. Making the most of colostrum at lambing. Veterinary Record 118: 351–353.Google Scholar
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. 1986. The analysis of agricultural materials. Reference book 427. Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London.Google Scholar
Peart, J. N., Doney, J. M. and Smith, W. F. 1979. Lactation pattern in Scottish Blackface and East Friesland × Scottish Blackface cross-bred ewes. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 92:133–138.Google Scholar
Peart, J. N., Edwards, R. A. and Donaldson, E. 1972. The yield and composition of the milk of Finnish Landrace × Blackface ewes. 1. Ewes and lambs maintained indoors. journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 79:303–313.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peart, J. N., Edwards, R. A. and Donaldson, E. 1975. The yield and composition of milk of Finnish Landrace × Blackface ewes. II. Ewes and lambs grazed on pasture. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 85:315–324.Google Scholar
Perrin, D. 1958. The chemical composition of the colostrum and the milk of the ewe. Journal of Dairy Researcli 25: 70–74.Google Scholar
Reid, J. F. S. 1972. Serum immune globulin concentrations of newborn hill lambs. Veterinary Record 90: 371–372.Google Scholar
Rowan, T. G. 1992. Thermoregulation in neonatal ruminants. In Neonatal survival and growth (ed. Varley, M. A., Williams, P. E. V. and Lawrence, T. L. J.), occasional publication, British Society of Animal Production, no. 15, pp. 13–24.Google Scholar
Sawyer, M., Willaden, C. H., Osburn, B. I. and McGuire, T. C. 1977. Passive transfer of colostral immunoglobulins from ewe to lamb and its influence on neonatal lamb mortality. Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association 171:1255–1259.Google Scholar
Sebek, L. B. J. and Everts, H. 1993. Prediction of gross energy content of ewe milk. Animal Production 56:101–106.Google Scholar
Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. 1990. SPSS-X user's guide. 4th ed.SPSS Inc., Chicago.Google Scholar
Treacher, T. T. 1973. Artificial rearing of lambs: a review. Veterinary Record 92:311–315.Google Scholar