Nutrition in Pregnancy Flashcards
What is ME measured in and how much energy does a mars bar contain?
Joules (energy needed to raise the temperature of 1ml water by 1deg)
1 calorie = 4.2J
1MJ = 1,000,000J
Mars bar = 1MJ
How much energy does a cow need to make 1L of milk?
5MJ (higher for jerseys etc)
What is the maintainance requirement of a 700kg cow?
70MJ/day
What are the energy requirements of a dairy cow during pregnancy?
0.5MJ/day month 2
35MJ/day full term
44MJ/day overdue
How can energy requirements be approximated?
Maintainence + activity + milk yield + pregnancy + growth
What age do cows continue growing up to?
5 years (lactation 3)
How does weight loss affect energy requirements?
loss of 1kg/day contributes 35MJ energy
What is the main source of energy in a cows diet?
cereals
What ME does grass and silage have?
10+ MJ/kg DM
How does VFI affect energy metabolism?
At peak energy requirement cow cannot physically eat enough to maintain requirements (peak lactation)
- must lose weight to free up energy
How does VFI vary throughout cows life?
- Greatly reduced around calving (pain) late pregnancy and early lactation
- greatly reduced in fat cows
How long is the ewes gestation?
144d (20 weeks)
How should diet be managed around time of tupping?
- high plane of nutrition
- no abrupt changes
- kale and rape may reduce fertility
- extra feed for young ewes
When can PD be performed in sheep? How does it differ to cattle
from 40d gestation (ultrasound)
often at 11-15 weeks
> find no. of foetuses not just preg/non-preg and feed accordingly
When should concentrate feed amounts be changed during pregnancy?
6 weeks before lambing, 4 weeks before lambing, 2 weeks before lambing - change different amounts depending on no. foetuses
Should larger sheep be fed more or less sduring pregnancy?
More
What will excesive concentrates cause?
Acidosis
Should feeding different amounts for different no. lambs be continued post-partum?
Yes during lactation
What is pregnancy toxaemia? What is this also known as?
- Twin lamb disease
- excessive enrgy demand from foetus -> NEB
- stressor eg. cold weather, moving, transport, feed change tips ewe over the edge
- > hypoglycaemia and ketosis
- neurological signs, recumbent
Tx of pregnancy toxaemia?
> Induce abortion with coritcosteroids
- though lamb then wasted and ^ risk metritis in ewe
get energy into ewe
- I/v glucose
- oral propylene glycol
- oral electrolyte carbohydrate source eg. liquid lectade best Tx
Is pregnancy toxaemia seen in cattle?
- much less commonly
- usually late lactation with twins
- Low BCS
- usually beef cows not dairy
- insufficient supplementary feed and stress
What BCS should a diary cow calve at?
3.0
What BCS should a cow be dried off at?
3.0
When should weight loss be instigated?
NOT DRY PERIOD!!! VERY DANGEROUS!!!
- late lactation best time
What is fatty liver disease? What is the more severe form of this pathoglogy called?
- fat cow syndrome more severe (recumbent, innappetant, life threatening)
- fat mobilisation around calving due to hormonal influence (last 2 weeks preg and early lactation)
- ^ free fatty acids (NEFAs) normal but if excessive this is bad
- v NEFAs wanted
- fat processed by liver and gets deposited
- > immunosuppression
- RFM
- endometritis
- infertility
- ketosis
- mastitis
What are the 5 risk factors for severe fatty liver disease or fat cow syndrome?
- fat dry cow
- fat cows at calving v appetite (encourage to eat)
- cows losing weight in dry period
- dry cows sudden change of diet at calving
- cows losing excessive weight post-partum
How should fat cows be treated around calving?
Encourage to eat and minimise weight loss at this time
What is a transition diet?
Introduced 2 weeks pre-calving
- similar to lactating diet
- but feed less
- ensures no sudden change of diet at calving
What are the 2 types of protein?
> RDP rumen digestable protein - broken down by microbes in rumen - ammonia - energy needed to allow microbes to break down - carbon fragments > UDP undegradable or bypass protein - more expensive - formaldehyde treated food - used to be fish meal
