To determine the value of pre and post weaning nutrition on puberty age, some hormonal concentrations and tail measures in ewe lambs, a total of 40 clinically health Kurdish female lambs (30±8.6 d and weighing 10.2±3.4 kg) were randomly allocated to one of two experimental diets in pre-weaning period: high quality diet (HQD, 2.50 Mcal ME/kg dry matter (DM) and 148 g CP/kg DM) or low quality diet (LQD, 2.02 Mcal ME/kg DM and 87 g CP/kg DM). At weaning, one half of lambs from each group was randomly separated and assigned to HQD or LQD. So there were four treatment groups in post-weaning period: H-H (HQD pre- and post-weaning); H-L (HQD pre-weaning and LQD post-weaning); L-H (LQD pre-weaning and HQD post-weaning) and L-L (LQD pre and post-weaning, control group). Within the post-weaning, serum progesterone concentrations was greater for ewe lambs fed at H-H group than for other groups (P<0.05). Serum insulin concentration was affected by the diet quality at both periods (P<0.05). Leptin concentration was affected by treatment and ewe lambs of L-H group had higher leptin concentrations (P<0.05). Diet plan in the pre-pubertal period was affected tail measures in 120 and 210 days of ages (P<0.05).
Part of the book: Reproductive Biology and Technology in Animals