Research Efforts on Improving
Neonatal Survival
Background:
SERP 6-12% Born Dead
5-15% Death Loss B-W
NSIP National Flock Management Summary
6000 Ewes - 92 flocks
LB LW % Survival
Mature Ewes 1.81 1.44 79%
Ewe Lambs 1.46 1.02 69%
Iowa NSIP
Mature Ewes 1.78 1.44 80%
Ewe Lambs 1.35 .92 61%
In Summary
We are losing 15-30% of our
production potential.
.2 - .3 lambs per ewe after lambing
.2 - .3 fetus per ewe in early gestation
ISWPB
Evaluation of Common
Shepherd Practices
Vitamin ADE
Vitamin B Complex
Strong Lamb
Lamb & Kid Kare
Probiotics
Youngs & Hummel
ISU Teaching Farm
1990 & 1991
Twin Lambs - one treated 1/2 cc Injacom
one control
Injacom 50,000 IU A
5,000 IU D
10 IU E
Survival averaged 90%
Preweaning gain not affected
No response on Survival
Vitamin B Complex
Morrical & McClain
1991
128 Crossbred Lambs
Treated Lambs Received -3 cc B-Complex at birth
and 3 weeks of age
B-Complex Results
Birth Wt. 21 day Wt WW Survival
C 10.9 23.7 40.1 92%
T 10.9 24.1 39.7 87%
4 Actually died
10 were pulled for AR
Influence of Subclinical Mastitis
Ahmad, Timms and Morrical
1988-1990
McNay Research Farm
4-Corner Polypay and ISU Teaching Farm
1988 - 196 Ewes and 392 Halves
Sampled at Birth and Weaning
Lambing Weaning
No. Infected 25% 22%
No. Halves Infected 17% 14%
McNay only
Lambing Weaning
No. Infected 25% 15%
1989
No. Halves 17% 8%
No. Infected 13% 16%
1990
Halves 9% 9%
Coagulase Negative Staph-90% of infections
Impact of Infection on Lamb Performance
1988 1989 1990
Uninfected .71 .69a .68
Infected .67 .62b .65
1989
Uninfected .71
Infected at W .66
Infected at L .58
Infected at L & W .54
Control of Subclinical Mastitis
Treated at Weaning and
Resampled 60 days postweaning
Treatments - Dry Cow Infusion
Cefa-Dri 1/2 tube per half
- 5 ml Benzathine Penicillin
Results
1989 1990
Trt. Cont. Trt. Cont.
Infected 9 15 20 15
Cured 6 (67%) 5 (33%) 18 (90%) 7 (47%)
Did not prevent new infections at next lambing
Summary Subclinical Mastitis
50% of infections occur postweaning
50% of infections occur prelambing
Dry cow and injectable are equally effective
Birth Weight from Ewes Fed Varying
Levels of Energy
TDN Single Twin Triplet
2.35 11.2 10.6
Singles
2.85 13.3 11.4
2.8 13.2 11.2 9.4
Twins
3.6 13.2 10.6 9.4
3.2 10.5 7.7
Triplets 3.8 11.7 8.5
4.4 11.7 9.4
Note these are raw means
1992 Lamb Survival Work
McNay Sheep Flock
Dan Morrical and Arnold McClain
Winter Lambing Ewes and Offspring
Randomly allocated within
24 hrs of age
Treatments
Lamb and Kid Kare
Fastrack Probiotic Paste
Results Trial 1 - Naturally Reared Lambs
Control LKK FT
N 33 33 33
ADG B-W .63 .59 .61
Deaths 1 1 1
Orphaned 1 0 1
No effect on Performance or Survival
Trial 2 - Orphan Reared
Control LKK FT
N 6 6 6
ADG 0-21 .42 .39 .36
ADG 21-42 .41 .38 .34
Deaths 0 0 0
Conclusion to All Previous Work
Post Lambing Treatments
were not successful in
increasing lamb survival
Current work -
Youngs et al. - ISU Teaching
Evaluation of Vitamin A & E on OR,
Embryo and Fetal Survival
Morrical et al.
Vitamin A & E Teaching
Important observations
a single injection of E maintains serum E
levels for 6 days
younger ewes have higher embryo losses
Vitamin A may increase OR
Vitamin E injections and lamb
survival
Protocol 2 X 2 factorial 1994 & 1995
Ewes during late gestation
900 IU or 0 E per week
90 or 10 PPM Se mineral
Ewes were fed by fetal number
Results of Vitamin E & Se
No effect of mineral source
on ADG or survival
Vitamin E
improved pre-weaning ADG 5-10%
improved livability one year
more important in multiples
more important for young and old ewes
Current work
Evaluating feeding Vitamin E in both late
gestation and lactation
Regional project with Indiana, Kentucky and
Iowa