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Country: Turkey
Dairy or/and meat sheep: Dairy-Meat
Source of information: Scientific knowledge
Level of solution: Knowledge
Aim: To increase lamb survival by lamb vigor knowledge
Description:
- Key note on lamb vigor scoring -colostrum intake efficiency, factors influence lamb vigor
- It is highly correlated with the nutrition in the trimester of gestation, efficient nutrition for the ewe is very influential
- PDF for stressors, Stress factors for the ewe has to be avoided during gestation for a better nutrition
- Improved lamb vigor will increase survival
Expected benefits: less lamb loses in the neonatal period and attendance at birth
Prerequisites and/or limits (knowledge, training, capabilities, cost, management, facilities, equipment, etc.)
- Farmers need to be aware for the gestation nutrition
- Some ewes may need to treated differently during gestation
- Poor BCS ewes produce lambs with less vigor at birth
- Special time for gestation has to be allocated by farmer
Scientific knowledge:
MacFarlane, J.M., Matheson, S.M. & Dwyer, C.M. (2010) Genetic parameters for birth difficulty, lamb vigour and lamb sucking ability in Suffolk sheep. Animal Welfare 19 99-105;
Matheson, S.M., Rooke, J.A., McIlvaney, K.M., Ison, S., Jack, M., Bunger, L., Ashworth, C.J. & Dwyer, C.M. (2011) Development and validation of ‘on-farm’ behavioural scoring systems to assess birth assistance and lamb vigour. Animal 5: 776-783;
Matheson, S.M., Bünger, L. & Dwyer, C.M. (2012) Genetic parameters for fitness and neonatal behavior traits in sheep. Behavior Genetics 42: 899-911;
Dwyer, C.M., Conington, J., Corbière, F., Holmøy, I.H., Muri, K., Rooke, J., Vipond, J. & Gauthier, J.-M. (2016) Invited Review: Improving neonatal survival in small ruminants: science into practice. Animal 10(3): 449-459.
Tips & Tricks:
Expected impacts:
Benefit | |||||||
Benefit expected | less abortion mortality |
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System | |||||||
Is the solution suitable for various production systems | Y | Dairy&Meat | |||||
If no – for which system | |||||||
Cost | |||||||
What are the asset costs | ? | ||||||
What are the maintenance costs | ? | ||||||
Any limits to its applicability | |||||||
Work Load | |||||||
Farmers | Service provider/tech.-vet-others | ||||||
How much time is required to prepare and implement the solution | <1 day | ||||||
How many people is needed to implement the solution? | 1 person | ||||||
Timing | |||||||
How long it takes to get results? | >=1week | ||||||
How long it takes to see an effect on sheep productivity? | current production period | ||||||
Equipment/Facility | |||||||
Farmers | Service provider/technicians-vet-others | ||||||
What kind of equipment/tool are necessary? | ? | ||||||
Skill/Knowledge-Training (farmer) | |||||||
Does the solution need any specific skill/knowledge or training? | yes | ||||||
How much time will be required for training | 1 day | ||||||
Wider Environment | |||||||
Is there any particular regulation link to the solution? | no | ||||||
Does the solution need any particular structure or organisation? | no |