Efeito da restrição alimentar durante o final da gestação sobre o peso ao nascer de cordeiros Santa Inês

Abstract

An experiment was conducted in the Sheep Production Sector of the Animal Science Department at the Federal University of Lavras, Lavras MG to evaluate weight birth of Santa Ines lambs, males and females from ewes submitted or not to feed restriction during final pregnancy. A total of 44 ewes Santa Ines with twin lambs were utilized , divided in two groups: the first group was ad libitum fed and other was restricted fed (60% of energy requirements) during final pregnancy. The nutritional requirements for pregnancy ewes were calculated by ARC (1980) recommended with ewe's weight, gestation length and foetuses number. For ewes were evaluated initial and post-partum weight, gestation length and biological mass. For lambs were evaluated birth weight of males and females. The birth weight of males and females were affected by prenatal restriction, and the overall weight birth of males without restriction were 4.162 kg and with restriction were 2.893 kg; the overall weight birth of females without restriction were 3.474 kg and with restriction were 2.855 kg. The prenatal restriction reduced birth weight of males in 30.5% and 17.8% of females.