Hostname: page-component-745bb68f8f-b6zl4 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-01-11T18:42:24.453Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Body composition in lactating sheep and its indirect measurement in the live animal using tritiated water

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

J. Z. Foot ,
E. Skedd  and
D. N. McFarlane
J. Z. Foot
Affiliation:
Hill Farming Research Organization, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian EH2Q OPY
E. Skedd
Affiliation:
Hill Farming Research Organization, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian EH2Q OPY
D. N. McFarlane
Affiliation:
Hill Farming Research Organization, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian EH2Q OPY
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

In two experiments with female Scottish Blackface or Border Leicester x Scottish Blackface sheep nine or ten animals were slaughtered in mid lactation and the remainder either in November at the time of the subsequent mating (Expt 1) or at weaning (Expt 2).

The sheep were infused periodically, including just before slaughter, with 100 μCi tritiated water (TOH) in order to measure total body water by dilution and to estimate body fat using the inverse relationship between the proportions of fat and water in the body. The accuracy of the methods was assessed when the sheep were slaughtered. In the ton lactating Scottish Blackface sheep of Expt 1 fat made up 11.5% of the total body weight with an S.D. of 8·38% whereas the 11 sheep slaughtered at mating were twice as fat (23·2, S.D. 4·01 %). The 25 Border Leicester × Blackface sheep were all thin, whether they were slaughtered in mid lactation (4·4, S.D. 2·56%) or at weaning (3·4, S.D. 2·81%).

The standard error of estimate of body water from TOH space in Expt 2 was 1·2 kg c.v. 2·8%) and lower in Expt 1.

The precision with which an animal could be weighed was very important in determining the accuracy with which body fat could be predicted from live weight and TOH space. In both experiments the standard error of estimate for body fat in lactating sheep was between 600 and 700 g, compared with 1·3–2·7 kg when body fat was predicted from live weight alone. These estimates were sufficiently accurate to be of value in following changes in body composition in live animals as their nutritional and physiological state alters and for comparing animals in groups where the average fatness is greater and the range wider than in the sheep used in Expt 2.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 92 , Issue 1 , February 1979 , pp. 69 - 81
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1979

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

Cabneoie, A. B. & Tulloh, N. M. (1968). The in vivo determination of body water space in cattle using the tritium dilution technique. Proceedings of the Australian Society of Animal Production 7, 308–313.Google Scholar
Cowan, B. T., Robinson, J. J. & Greenhalgh, J. F. D. (1978). Body composition changes in lactating ewes. British Society of Animal Production, Winter Meeting 1978. Animal Production 26, 392–393.Google Scholar
Donnelly, J. R. & Freer, M. (1974). Prediction of body composition in live sheep. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 25, 825–834.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Farrell, D. J. & Reardon, T. F. (1972). Undernutrition in grazing sheep. III. Body composition and its estimation in vivo. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 23, 511–517.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Foot, J. Z. (1969). Body water in ovine pregnancy. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility, supplement 9 (Water metabolism in pregnancy), 9–16.Google ScholarPubMed
Kumar, I. & Bergek, E. Y. (1968). Preparation of samples for liquid scintillation analysis of tritiated water. International Journal of Applied Radiation and Isotopes 19, 805–807.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robelin, J. (1973). Estimation de la composition corporelle des animaux à partir des espaces de diffusion de l'eau marquée. Annales de Biologie animale, Biochimie, Biophysique 13, 285–305.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robelin, J. (1975). Estimation of body composition in vivo by dilution techniques. EEC Seminar on Criteria and Methods for Assessment of Carcass and Meat Characteristics in Beef Production Experiments, Zeist, 1975.Google Scholar
Robelin, J. (1977). Estimation in vivo de la composition corporelle des agneaux a partir de l'espace de diffusion de l'eau lourde. Annales de Biologie animale, Biochimie, Biophysique 17, 95—105.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Russel, A. J. F., Gunn, R. G. & Doney, J. M. (1968). Components of weight loss in pregnant hill ewes during winter. Animal Production 10, 43–51.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Searle, T. W. (1970). Body composition in lambs and young sheep and its prediction in vivo from tritiated water space and body weight. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 82, 269–275.Google Scholar
Smith, B. S. W. & Sykes, A. R. (1974). The effect of route of dosing and method of estimation of tritiated water space on the determination of total body water and the prediction of body fat in sheep. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 82, 105–112.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sykes, A. R. (1974). The prediction of the body composition of hill sheep from body weight, red cell volume and tritiated water space. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 82, 269–275.CrossRefGoogle Scholar