Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-27T22:01:26.620Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Performance and blood chemistry in lambs following fasting and transport

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

G. M. J. Horton
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, Cook College, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA
J. A. Baldwin
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, Cook College, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA
S. M. Emanuele
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, Cook College, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA
J. E. Wohlt
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, Cook College, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA
L. R. McDowell
Affiliation:
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL32611, USA
Get access

Abstract

Thirty-six 5-month-old Dorset ram lambs (28·7 kg) were used to investigate the effects of fasting and transport on performance and selected blood parameters. Three treatment groups (no. = 12) were: (1) control-food and water, without transport; (2) fasting for 72 h, without transport; and (3) transport in a trailer to a nearby auction-barn, then driven 8 h/day for 3 days without food or water for a total of 72 h. Lambs were given a total mixed diet containing 163 g/kg crude protein throughout the 28-day post-transport period. Both fasted and transported lambs consumed less food than the control group during the first 7 days post treatment (P < 0·05). Water intake was similar for all treatment groups on the 1st day post transport, after which both fasted and transport lambs drank less ivater than control lambs during the following 6 days (P < 0·05). Live-weight loss after the 3-day fast and transport period and subsequent body-weight gain during the 28-day realimentation period differed across all treatment groups (P < 0·05 and P < 0·09; (1) 1% and 305 g, (2) 14·8% and 343 g, and (3) 20·0% and 390 g, respectively, though control lambs had the highest weight gains over the 32-day experimental period. Plasma urea nitrogen was lower in both fasted and transported lambs on days 6, 7 and 11 compared with control lambs (P < 0·05). Plasma glucose concentrations on days 4 and 5 were lower in transported lambs than in fasted lambs, and highest in control lambs (P < 0·05); glucose concentration levels remained lower in both fasted and transported lambs than in control lambs on days 6 and 7 (P < 0·05). Plasma cortisol concentrations were highest in transported lambs during the 3-day transport period and for 2 days immediately following transport (P < 0·05). Effects of the 72 h fast were exacerbated by auction barn activity and subsequent transport, and compensatory gains by fasted and transport lambs were incomplete within the 28-day post transport period.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1996

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.)

References

Blecha, F., Boyles, S. L. and Riley, J. G. 1984. Shipping suppresses lymphocyte blastogenic responses in Angus and Brahman × Angus feeder calves. Journal of Animal Science 59: 576583.Google Scholar
Blecha, F. and Kelley, K. W. 1981. Effects of cold and weaning stressors on the antibody-mediated immune response of pigs. Journal of Animal Science 53: 439447.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Camp, T. H., Stevens, D. G., Stermer, R. A. and Anthony, J. P. 1981. Transit factors affecting shrink, shipping fever and subsequent performances of feeder calves. Journal of Animal Science 52:12191224.Google Scholar
Chirase, N. K., Hutcheson, D. P. and Thompson, G. B. 1991. Feed intake, rectal temperature, and serum mineral concentrations of feedlot cattle fed zinc oxide or zinc methionine and challenged with infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus. Journal of Animal Science 69:41374145.Google Scholar
Cole, N. A. and Hutcheson, D. P. 1988. Influence of protein concentration in prefast and postfast phosphorus intake of steers and nitrogen and phosphorus metabolism of lambs. Journal of Animal Science 66: 17641777.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cole, N. A. and Hutcheson, D. P. 1990. Influence of dietary protein concentrations on performance and nitrogen repletion in stressed calves. Journal of Animal Science 68: 34883497.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cole, N. A., Phillips, W. A. and Hutcheson, D. P. 1986. The effect of pre-fast diet and transport on nitrogen metabolism of calves. Journal of Animal Science 62: 17191731.Google Scholar
Coppinger, T. R., Minton, J. E., Reddy, P. G. and Blecha, F. 1991. Repeated restraint and isolation stress in lambs increases pituitary-adrenal secretions and reduces cell-mediated immunity. Journal of Animal Science 69: 28082814.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Crookshank, H. R., Elissalde, M. H., White, R. G., Clanton, D. C. and Smalley, H. E. 1979. Effect of transportation and handling of calves upon blood serum composition. Journal of Animal Science 48: 430435.Google Scholar
Eicher-Pruiett, S. D., Morrill, J. L., Blecha, F., Higgins, J. J., Anderson, N. V. and Reddy, P. G. 1992. Neutrophil and lymphocyte response to supplementation in vitamins C and E in young calves. Journal of Dairy Science 75: 16351642.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Galyean, M. L., Lee, R. W. and Hubbert, M. E. 1981. Influence of fasting and transit on ruminal and blood metabolites in beef steers. Journal of Animal Science 53: 717.Google Scholar
Hargreaves, A. L. and Hutson, G. D. 1990. The stress response in sheep during routine handling procedures. Applied Animal Behaviour 26: 83.Google Scholar
Hutcheson, D. P. and Cole, N. A. 1986. Management of transit-stress syndrome in cattle: nutritional and environmental effects. Journal of Animal Science 62: 555560.Google Scholar
Hutcheson, D. P., Cole, N. A. and McLaren, J. B. 1984. Effects of pretransit diets and post-transit potassium levels for feeder calves. Journal of Animal Science 58: 700707.Google Scholar
Jensen, R., Pierson, R. E., Braddy, P. M., Saari, D. A., Laverman, L. H., England, J. J., Keyvanfar, H., Collier, J. R., Horton, D. P., McChesney, A. E., Benitez, A. and Christie, R. M. 1976. Shipping fever pneumonia in yearling feedlot cattle. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 169: 500.Google Scholar
Knowles, T. G., Brown, S. N., Warris, P. D., Phillips, A. J., Dolan, S. K., Hunt, P., Ford, J. E., Edwards, J. E. and Watkins, P. E. 1995. Effects on sheep of transport by road for up to 24 hours. Veterinary Record 136: 431438.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lay, D. C., Friend, T. H., Randel, R. D., Bowers, C. L., Grissom, K. K. and Jenkins, O. C. 1992. Behavioral and physiological effects of freeze or hot-iron branding on crossbred cattle. Journal of Animal Science 70: 330336.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Maynard, L. A., Loosli, J. K., Hintz, H. F. and Warners, R. G. 1979. Energy concepts. In Animal nutrition, 7th ed., p. 186. McGraw-Hill, New York.Google Scholar
Minton, J. E. and Blecha, F. 1990. Effect of acute stressors on endocrinological and immunological functions in lambs. Journal of Animal Science 68: 31453151.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Moberg, G. P. 1987. A model for assessing the impact of behavioral stress on domestic animals. Journal of Animal Science 65:12281235.Google Scholar
Moberg, G. P., Anderson, C. O. and Underwood, T. R. 1980. Ontogeny of the adrenal and behavioral responses of lambs to emotional stress. Journal of Animal Science 51: 138142.Google Scholar
Naqui, S. M. K. and Rai, A. K. 1991. Effects of fasting on some physiological responses and blood constituents in native and crossbred sheep. Indian journal of Animal Science 61: 985.Google Scholar
National Research Council. 1985. Nutrient requirements of sheep, 6th ed. National Academy Press, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Oser, B. L. ed. 1965. Blood and other body fluids. In Hawk's physiological chemistry, p. 321. McGraw-Hill, New York.Google Scholar
Phillips, W. A., Juniewicz, P. E. and Von Tungeln, D. L. 1991. The effect of fasting, transit plus fasting, and administration of adrenocorticopic hormone on the source and amount of weight lost by feeder steers of different ages. Journal of Animal Science 69: 23422348.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Statistical Analysis Systems Institute. 1988. SAS user's guide: statistics. SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC.Google Scholar