L.LSM.0026-A novel amino acid approach to lamb survival

Summary

Twin-bearing ewes sustain higher nutritional demands during gestation with nutritional recommendations focused on meeting higher energy requirements. Glutamine, glutamate, arginine, histidine, and leucine amino acids have been identified as limiting in twin foetuses. These amino acids are important for foetal growth and contribute significantly to hormone production required for foetal development.

This project will establish whether maternal supplementation of these amino acids increases energy supply to the reproductive tract and foetal development, thus reducing in-utero and peri-natal lamb losses.

Objectives

The main objectives of this project are to determine:

• the role of non-essential (glutamine and glutamate) and essential (arginine, histidine and leucine) amino acid supply in twin-bearing ewes on foetal development and lamb vigour
• if oxygen is required in combination with amino acid supplementation to optimise amino acid metabolism
• the timing of amino acid supplementation during pregnancy of twin-bearing ewes based on cost effectiveness
• the cost-effectiveness and practicalities of supplementing amino acids on-farm under two different feeding regimes to evaluate foetal loss and lamb survival at birth and weaning.

Benefits to industry

It is expected that through practical and cost-effective amino acid supplementation during gestation twin-lamb survival could increase by 5 percentage points. If this project is successful, there will be an opportunity for a commercial partner to develop an evidence-based amino acid blend for use during pregnancy.

Future research