Mammary Gland Structures Are Not Affected by an Increased Growth Rate of Yearling Ewes Post-Weaning but Are Associated with Growth Rates of Singletons

Emmanuelle Haslin; Rene A. Corner-Thomas; Paul R. Kenyon; Adrian J. Molenaar; Stephen T Morris; Hugh T. Blair

doi:10.3390/ani11030884

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Mammary Gland Structures Are Not Affected by an Increased Growth Rate of Yearling Ewes Post-Weaning but Are Associated with Growth Rates of Singletons

Journal article

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Mammary Gland Structures Are Not Affected by an Increased Growth Rate of Yearling Ewes Post-Weaning but Are Associated with Growth Rates of Singletons

Emmanuelle Haslin, Rene A. Corner-Thomas, Paul R. Kenyon, Adrian J. Molenaar, Stephen T Morris and Hugh T. Blair

Animals (Basel), Vol.11(3), 884

2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11030884

PMID: 33808896

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Abstract

Agriculture

Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science

Life Sciences & Biomedicine

Science & Technology

Veterinary Sciences

Zoology

The experiment aimed to examine the impacts of an increased growth rate of ewes between three and seven months of age on udder development using ultrasound and to establish whether ultrasonography could be used to identify ewe mammary structures that may be indirect indicators of singleton growth to weaning. Udder dimensions, depths of gland cistern (GC), parenchyma (PAR) and fat pad (FP) were measured in late pregnancy (P107), early lactation (L29), and at weaning (L100) in 59 single-bearing yearling ewes selected from two treatments. The ‘heavy’ group (n = 31) was preferentially fed prior to breeding achieving an average breeding live-weight of 47.9 ± 0.38 kg at seven months of age. The ‘control’ group (n = 28) had an average breeding live-weight of 44.9 ± 0.49 kg. Udder dimensions, GC, PAR and FP did not differ between treatments. Lamb growth to L100 was positively associated (p < 0.05) with PAR at P107 and GC at L29. There was no evidence of negative effects of the live-weight gain treatments on udder development of yearling ewes as measured by ultrasonography. The results suggest that this ultrasound method has the potential to identify pregnant yearling ewes which would wean heavier singletons.

Details

Title: Mammary Gland Structures Are Not Affected by an Increased Growth Rate of Yearling Ewes Post-Weaning but Are Associated with Growth Rates of Singletons
Authors/Creators: Emmanuelle Haslin - Massey University
Rene A. Corner-Thomas - Massey University
Paul R. Kenyon - Massey University
Adrian J. Molenaar - AgResearch
Stephen T Morris - Massey University
Hugh T. Blair - Massey University
Publication Details: Animals (Basel), Vol.11(3), 884
Publisher: MDPI
Number of pages: 29
Identifiers: 991005831943807891
Murdoch Affiliation: School of Agricultural Sciences
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration
Citation topics: 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology; 3.51 Dairy & Animal Sciences; 3.51.1365 Mastitis
Web Of Science research areas: Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science; Veterinary Sciences; Zoology
ESI research areas: Plant & Animal Science