Does the physiological status of lambs within a twin- and triplet-born litter differ during the first 12 hours of life?
J. I. Kerslake A B , P. R. Kenyon A , K. J. Stafford A , S. T. Morris A and P. C. H. Morel AA Sheep Research Centre and the National Centre of Growth and Development, Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North 4422, New Zealand.
B Corresponding author. Email: jkerslake@abacusbio.co.nz
Animal Production Science 50(6) 522-527 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN09179
Submitted: 4 December 2009 Accepted: 14 April 2010 Published: 11 June 2010
Abstract
This study examined the physical and physiological differences from birth until 12 h of age within twin- and triplet-born litters. In 2005 and 2006, the parturition of 75 twin- and 62 triplet-bearing Romney ewes were observed. After parturition lamb blood samples were taken within 5 min of birth and rectal temperature was measured within 5 min of birth and at 1, 3, 6 and 12 h post-birth. Lamb birth weight, crown–rump length and thoracic-girth circumference were measured at 3 h of age. Lamb birth weight, plasma glucose, fructose, lactate, thyroxine and tri-iodothyronine did not differ (P > 0.05) between the heaviest-twin-born, lightest-twin-born and heaviest-triplet-born lamb. The lightest-triplet-born lambs, however, had lighter (P < 0.001) birthweights, greater (P < 0.001) surface-area-to-birth weight ratio, lower (P < 0.05) rectal temperatures, greater (P < 0.1) lactate concentrations and lower (P < 0.1) plasma thyroid hormone concentrations. These characteristics are known to have a negative impact on the ability of the lamb to maintain its body temperature after birth and may therefore provide some evidence as to why triplet-born lambs display a greater mortality rate than twin-born lambs, and why the lightest-triplet-born lambs have the greatest mortality rate within a litter.
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