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Effects of vitamin E supply during late gestation and early lactation upon colostrum composition, milk production and quality in nutritional restricted ewes

2015; Elsevier BV; Volume: 133; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.smallrumres.2015.09.014

1879-0941

César A. Rosales-Nieto, César A. Meza‐Herrera, F.J. Morón Cedillo, M. Flores, Héctor Gamez Vázquez, Venancio Cuevas Reyes, S.M. Liu,

Effects of Environmental Stressors on Livestock

The aim of this study was to test if supplemental vitamin E during late gestation and early lactation to ewes facing a moderate nutritional restriction and suckling lambs from different litter size and sex would affect colostrum composition and milk yield and composition. Mature Rambouillet ewes (n = 37, 22°N) receiving 70% of energy and 80% of protein requirements were randomly assigned to either of two treatments: intramuscular injections of vitamin E (VitE; n = 20, 4 IU vitamin E kg−1 of live weight) in weekly intervals from 50 days before partition until 60 days of lactation, and control (CON; n = 17, without VitE treatment). While colostrum protein and fat concentrations did not differ between treatments (P > 0.05), lactose content favoured to the VitE-ewes (1.9% vs. 1.2%, P < 0.001). Colostrum protein concentration was affected by litter size favouring to twin lambs (14.3% vs. 17.3%, P < 0.05). In addition, litter size tended to affect lactose content, favouring to those ewes suckling twins (1.4% vs. 1.8%, P = 0.08). The average milk yield was 2039 g day−1, without differences (P > 0.05) between treatments and litter size. The average milk concentrations of protein, lactose and solids-non-fat did not differ (P > 0.05) between treatments. Yet, milk fat content favour to the VitE-ewes (5.7% vs. 5.2%, P < 0.05). Milk concentrations of protein, fat, lactose and solids-non-fat were not affected (P > 0.05) by litter size. Non-significant treatment × litter size interactions (P > 0.05) were observed for milk yield, milk compositions of protein, fat and lactose and solids-non-fat. When the nutritional requirements are not met, treatment of vitamin E to ewes during late gestation and early lactation might be an strategy to improve the quality of both colostrum (>lactose) and milk (>fat).