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The rôle of the breed of dam and of the breed of lamb in determining the copper status of the lamb. 2. Under a dietary regime moderately high in copper

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

G. Wiener ,
I. Wilmut ,
Carol Woolliams ,
J. A. Woolliams  and
A. C. Field
G. Wiener
Affiliation:
AFRC Animal Breeding Research Organisation, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JQ
I. Wilmut
Affiliation:
AFRC Animal Breeding Research Organisation, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JQ
Carol Woolliams
Affiliation:
AFRC Animal Breeding Research Organisation, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JQ
J. A. Woolliams
Affiliation:
AFRC Animal Breeding Research Organisation, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JQ
A. C. Field
Affiliation:
Moredun Institute, Gilmerton Road, Edinburgh EH17 7JH
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Abstract

The relative importance of the breed of dam and the breed of lamb in determining the copper status of the lamb was investigated by transferring embryos reciprocally between Scottish Blackface and Welsh Mountain ewes. A diet moderately high in Cu (8 mg/kg dry matter (DM)) was fed both to the ewes from mating onward and subsequently to their lambs.

At birth, 9 and 24 weeks of age the concentration of Cu in the liver of lambs was the same for the two maternal breeds but within breed groups there was correspondence between full sibs when they were born to the same dam.

By 9 weeks and at 24 weeks of age Welsh lambs, irrespective of their dam's breed, had greater concentrations of Cu in liver than Blackface lambs. The average concentration at 9 weeks was 190 and 130 mg/kg DM respectively for the two breeds of lamb.

Results are also given for concentrations of Cu in plasma, kidney, brain, milk and faeces.

The results differ from those found in the previous paper under a regime of low dietary Cu where the maternal breed affected concentration of Cu in the liver of lambs up to 9 weeks of age.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 39 , Issue 2 , October 1984 , pp. 219 - 227
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1984

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References

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