Search

The East Friesian sheep is a dairy breed known for its high fertility and high milk production and is currently one of the best dairy sheep breeds in the world. This breed is known to have a poor disease-resistant phenotype compared to Hu sheep. Gut microbiota and metabolites play a role in host disease resistance. The intestinal bacterial microbiota is essential for maintaining the health of sheep and ensuring their productive potential, and it may also help explain disease-resistant phenotypic differences related to breeds. However, the ileum microbiota and metabolite profiles of Hu sheep and East Friesian sheep have remained poorly characterized. The ileal is a significant organ in the intestinal tract, and most nutrients and minerals in food are absorbed through the small intestine. It is necessary to understand the composition of both species' ileal microbiota and metabolites using the same feeding conditions. Therefore, studying the differences in the ileal microorganisms between breeds is essential to decipher the mechanisms behind these differences and identify microorganisms that influence the disease-resistant phenotype drive of ruminants. Due to the poor disease-resistant phenotype in sheep during the weaning period, with diarrhea and other diseases most likely to occur, we selected dairy sheep that were just two months old and had recently been weaned. This study comprehensively examined differences between the ileal microbiota in a large cohort of two breeds of sheep, including six Hu sheep and six East Friesian sheep. Using 16S rRNA and non-targeted metabolomics analysis, we determined that the Hu sheep had more microorganisms, including Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Streptococcus, and Limmosilactobacillus, and more metabolites, including 2,7-Dihydroxy-5-methyl-1-naphthoic acid, Leu-Pro-Glu-Phe-Tyr, dodecanoic acid, Ala-Gln-Phe-Ile-Met, and Ala-Gln-Glu-Val-His, compared to the EF sheep group. Moreover, the Hu sheep were significantly enriched in amino acid biosynthesis, fatty acid metabolites, and bile secretion compared to the EF sheep groups, which may have been the main driver of the observed differences in disease-resistant phenotypes between the Hu sheep and East Friesian sheep. In addition, we hypothesized that there may be multiple beneficial microbes and metabolites that modulate the immune response and ultimately affect disease resistance. Therefore, these findings provide insights into the mechanisms underlying disease-resistant phenotype in sheep and may provide useful information for optimizing the composition of the ileal bacterial microbiota in sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyphenols are known to affect digestion of ruminants, whereas there is little information about their metabolic effects. In a 2 × 2-factorial experiment, the effects of supplementing a phenolic grapeseed extract were compared in 11 East Friesian dairy sheep and 9 Saanen goats. The concentrate, supplemented with 7.4 g/100 g DM grapeseed extract, had contents of 3.5 g additional phenols/100 g DM and was compared with a low phenolic control concentrate. Performance, total phenols in blood, milk, urine and feces, antioxidant capacity of the blood, and saliva properties were examined. The experiment lasted for 11 wk from parturition to late lactation, with an initial adaptation phase of 1 wk. Milk yield was measured daily after weaning at about 7 wk after parturition. Blood, milk, saliva, feces, and urine were sampled 4, 3, 2, 2, and 2 times per animal, respectively. The phenolic diet increased phenol concentrations in blood (+10% and 17% in weeks 5 and 11, respectively) and in milk (+32% in week 5) in some of the sampling weeks. There were no clear species differences in phenol concentrations in blood plasma, milk, urine, and feces. However, at the end of the experiment, the supplemented goats had higher (P < 0.05) urinary phenol concentrations than the nonsupplemented goats. A weak relationship (P < 0.05) was found between phenol intake and phenol excretion with milk for sheep but not goats. The phenolic diet did not influence blood antioxidant capacity and tannin-binding capacity of the saliva. The saliva of the goats had a higher tannin-binding capacity than sheep saliva. The effects of the extract on milk yield were inconsistent between sheep and goats. In general, goats had higher feed and nutrient intakes, were heavier, and yielded more milk. Additionally, milk protein and lactose contents were lower and milk urea content was higher in goats than sheep. In conclusion, supplementing grapeseed extract to sheep and goats elevated phenol concentrations in milk and blood to a certain extent, but most of the phenols were lost via urine. The study gave another indication that goats seem to have developed coping mechanisms like a higher salivary tannin-binding capacity, mechanisms which are less pronounced in sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individual test day records for East Friesian dairy sheep in Macedonia for 3 year period, taken according A4 method of ICAR, were used for comparison of the two officially approved procedures, e.g. A4 and AC4 with the aim to test the effect of simplification in the milk recording in sheep on the measurement of their individual test day productivity. Data comprised of 1760 records from the Trubarevo breeding flock for ewes of age from the first to seventh lactation. The milking was twice a day and individual yield was recorded in the morning and in the evening of the day of test. Prediction coefficients were developed based on the average morning and evening month/year milk yield in the test day. Predicted daily milk yield based on the morning or on the evening yield was compared to the actual one. Actual, predicted productivity and the differences between the both, were analyzed for the effects of number of lambs born, period of test - suckling ewes and lambs were kept together or milking period ewes and lambs were kept separately, level of production and month of the year. Four way ANOVA was used to analyze the data. Results showed that, in general, AC4 method lead to underestimation of the actual yield (YA) with 0.3% using morning milking and to 0.3% overestimation when evening yields were used. Ewes having twins and triplet were underestimated with 1-2% with the morning milk recording, while in these with singles predicted yield was close to the actual milk yield. The morning recording of the milk yield during the suckling period led to underestimation of the TD yield with about 3%. The morning prediction of the TD yield in the milking period only is much more accurate. Ewes with high milk production are overestimated with 1% when the records of morning milk yield were used, while average and ewes with low milk production are underestimated with 1% and 3%. The prediction of the YA based on the morning milk yield led to about 1 % overestimation in the first part of the lactation, but resulted in about 4 % underestimation during the second part of lactation. The prediction of the YA was equal to the actual yield in the middle of lactation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of East Friesian (EF) genetics into commercial sheep milking herds has the potential to improve milk yield and offer a robust dam for meat lamb production systems. This study was conducted to measure the milk production, feed intake and longitudinal changes in body composition of EF × Romney (EFR) and Border Leicester × Merino (BLM) ewes over the first nine weeks of lactation. Sixteen seconds parity single-bearing EFR ( n = 8) and BLM ( n = 8) ewes that had been mated to a purebred EF ram were housed in individual pens from 2 weeks prior to, and until 9 weeks after, lambing and fed a commercial pelleted diet with additional chaff. Milk yield was measured twice a week using the four-hour milking interval technique after injection of oxytocin and body composition was determined by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at 1, 3, 5 and 9 weeks of lactation. Potential milk production was higher in EFR than BLM ewes (2.57 vs. 1.92 kg/d, P = 0.028) and declined as lactation advanced. Similarly, the yields of milk fat ( P = 0.015), protein ( P = 0.018) and lactose ( P = 0.062) were all higher in EFR than BLM ewes and declined as lactation advanced. Energy intake increased over the first 4 weeks of the study, before reaching a plateau for the remaining 5 weeks of the study. However, there was no significant difference in energy intake or energy balance between EFR and BLM ewes. Changes in tissue energy between DXA scans were highly correlated ( R 2 = 0.51, P < 0.001) to average estimated energy balance over the same periods. There was no effect of breed on birth weight of lambs nor was there any effect of dam breed on average daily gain of lambs. In conclusion, EFR ewes have greater potential milk yield than BLM ewes but this was not realized as an increased average daily gain in the single lambs possibly due to insufficient milking pressure failing to produce a difference in actual milk yield. It is likely that this difference would be expressed in response to a greater milking demand (i.e. from a milking machine or twin/triplet lambs). The EFR ewes ate more than BLM ewes during lactation and mobilized less fat than BLM ewes to maintain similar nursing lamb growth. However, a greater milking demand of twins or triplets may allow the greater potential milk yield of EFR to be expressed. Alternatively, machine milking EFR would most likely allow the expression of their full milking potential. Finally, DXA was able to predict body tissue mobilization and accretion in lactating ewes and these changes in body composition were related to estimated energy balance indicating that DXA can be used to serially determine body composition in lactating sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the research was to investigate new solutions for the production of increased sheep meat quantities. The opportunity to carry out these surveys is because Romania has a very good position among the countries with large herds of sheep and that at European Union level requirements for sheep meat are not assured. In order to achieve the objectives set out above we included in the scheme for the production of the biological material for recovery for the main breeds in Romania, namely the Merinos de Palas and Tigaie, at which we add the Bluefaced Leicester and Suffolk. Biological material intended for fattening was a hybrid produced from crossing trirasial females mixed-race F1 (Bluefaced Leiceste x races) with Suffolk rams. Weaning lambs was made at the age of 85 days, and to remove the influence of the age was taken into account that differences in this parameter to be less than 25 days. The technology was applied to fattening of intensive type, and had a total duration of 90 days. Intensity analysis of fattening each batch was weighed at the beginning of each phase, weaning, fattening and started at the end of fattening, and to compare the results, control groups were made. In the case of consignments composed by using the breed of Merinos de Palas, the weight of the control group was lower by 5.2% as compared to the performance by the group composed of hybrid terminals, from which the final live weight was 40 kg. For the following experimental formats by using the Tigaie, the control batch though has the onset of fattening a bodyweight with 8.64 percent compared with the batch composed of trirasial hybrids, final live weight was more than 20% higher in the experimental batch. The results obtained at the fattening, and the quality of the carcasses being much better at experimental batches justifies the practicing of this type of crossing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the influence of alpine grazing on vitamin D (vitD) and bone metabolism in sheep and goats. Two groups of five adult lactating East Friesian milk sheep and Saanen dairy goats were kept on pastures at 2,000 to 2,600 m a.s.l. (SA: sheep alpine; GA: goats alpine) and 400 m a.s.l. (SL: sheep lowland; GL: goats lowland). The animals were milked twice dai-ly and the milk yield was measured. Blood, milk, skin, and forage samples were collected and the left metatarsi were measured with peripheral quantitative computed tomography. The relative humidity and air temperature were recorded and the ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation was measured with a solar meter at both research stations. In addition, animals from the alpine group were equipped with a global positioning system receiver. The UVB radiation was higher at the alpine station (P < 0.05) com-pared to the lowland station. In contrast, both the relative humidity and the air temperature were higher at the low-land station (P< 0.04). The group GA produced more milk than GL (P < 0.043). No differences in milk production between SA and SL were detected. Only minor differ-ences between the alpine and lowland species groups were found in the total 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D serum concentration and in the 25(OH)D milk concentration. 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 concentration in serum was higher in sheep com-pared to goats and the 25(OH)D3 concentration in serum increased in all four groups but was higher in the alpine groups during the experiment. In addition, no differences in 7-dehydrocholesterol (7-DHC) concentrations in the skin at high altitude and lowland groups were detectable. However the 7-DHC concentrations in the skin of sheep were less than a tenth of the concentrations in the skin of goats and were nearly not detectable. In both groups SA ~ and SL bone strength index increased during the trial (P = 0.043). Bone strength index was lower in GA compared to GL at wk 12 (P = 0.047). Mean serum Ca concentra-tions were higher and P concentrations were lower in the alpine groups than in the lowland groups (P = 0.047). In both groups SA and GA the distance travelled increased during the trial. In conclusion, no effect of altitude on vitD status, vitD milk concentration and bone strength could be detected. Both sheep and goats are able to pro-duce vitD in the skin, but sheep depend more on vitD intake with feedstuff, whereas goats rely more on cutane-ous vitD production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the lactation persistency and milk composition in East Friesian and Lacaune dairy ewes. Twenty one East Friesian and forty six Lacaune ewes on 44±7.2 days in milk (DIM) were used in a rotational system grazing paddocks of Panicum maximum jacq. cv. 'Aruana'. Milk yield (MY) was measured every four days throughout the experiment (92 days). Milk samples for composition analysis were collected on days 1, 25, 50, 75, and 92. The best fit prediction equations for MY were MY=1.42-0.02* DIM, r²=0.20 for East Friesian; and MY=2.03-0.08* DIM, r²=0.22 for Lacaune. At the beginning of the experimental period Lacaune MY was 30% higher. Lacaune ewes showed lower persistency and higher milk yield (1.67 vs. 1.35kg day-1, P<0.001), milk fat yield (114.80 vs. 102.85g day-1, P<0.001) and protein yield (82.82 vs. 73.10g day-1, P < 0.001). East Friesian ewes had greater milk fat (7.31 vs. 6.86%, P<0.0008) and protein concentrations (5.18 vs. 4.93%, P<0.001). Overall, the East Friesian ewes showed more persistency than Lacaune, but the milk yield and milk yield composition was greater in Lacaune. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A backcross pedigree using dairy East Friesian rams and non-dairy Dorset ewes was established specifically to map quantitative trait loci (QTL) affecting milk production in sheep. Ninety nine microsatellite markers of an initial set of 120 were successfully genotyped and informative on 188 animals of this backcross pedigree. Test-day milk records on individual ewes were used to estimate several milk yield related traits, including peak milk yield and cumulative milk yield to 50 (MY50), 100 (MY100) and 250 days (MY250). These traits, as well as estimated breeding value of backcross ewes extracted from the genetic evaluation file of the entire flock, were used in interval mapping. Ovine chromosomes 2, 12, 18, 20 and 24 were identified to harbour putative QTL for different measures of milk production. The QTL on Ovis aries chromosomes (OAR) 2 and 20 mapped to locations where similar trait QTL have already been mapped in other studies, whereas QTL on OAR 12, 18 and 24 were unique to our backcross pedigree and have not been reported previously. In addition, all identified QTL regions were syntenic with bovine chromosomal segments revealed to harbour QTL affecting milk production traits, providing supporting evidence for the QTL identified here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A 5-year survey was undertaken to compare the productivity of crossbred ewes (East Friesian (EF) sires×Corriedale (C) dams), relative to purebred Corriedale ewes in terms of reproduction rate, wool production and quality and milk production. The experimental population consisted of a self-replacing flock of 200 breeding ewes (2–9 years of age), 120 being C and 80 EF×C (F1) crosses. The ewes were maintained on natural pastures (average 2500kgDMyear−1 ha−1) up to 50 d prepartum, and thereafter rotated on predominant white clover pasture, at a stocking rate of 6ewesha−1. Prior to lambing, the ewes were shorn and the lambs were weaned at 35–40 d of age (at a minimum weight of 10kg), with the ewes being milked twice a day. F1 crossbred ewes recorded a higher (13.8%) body weight over the purebred C. Genotype had a significant effect (P <0.01) on the fecundity and weaning rate—with the lambs born/ewe lambing being higher in the EF F1 crossbreds (125.0%), compared to the Corriedale ewes (113.0%). The EF F1 crossbreds generally weaned 8 more lambs per 100 ewes mated. The survival rate of the lambs was not affected by the genotype of the ewe. For a similar lactation length, the genotype of the ewe had a significant effect (P <0.01) on growth rate of the lambs, with the EF F1 crossbreds recording a 14.6% higher ADG than the C lambs. During the milking-only period, the East Friesian crossbreds produced 35.2% more milk in a 100 d lactation period than the C (P <0.01), resulting from a combination of a higher level of daily milk production (0.730 vs 0.540l/d respectively) and a longer persistency. Greasy and clean wool weights were however higher in the C, while yield and staple length were lower than in the F1 crossbred ewes. Compared to the Corriedale, EF crossbreds recorded a thicker wool diameter (34.2μm vs 29.7μm) and lower staple strength. Year, parity and age of the ewe had a significant effect (P <0.01) on the reproduction rate, milk production and wool production. The overall comparison of the F1 EF crossbreds with the Corriedale, showed that the F1 ewes had a higher reproduction rate, growth rate of the lambs and milk production. The Corriedale however had a higher wool production and finer diameter. This survey, carried out on an all year round grazing system demonstrated that the introduction of EF genes improved milk production, although the impact being below the expectation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Milk production and milk composition were measured in 1056 crossbred ewes managed under pasture grazing in a lamb production system. Most ewes were milked on three occasions at ~3, 4 and 12 weeks of lactation. The ewes were the progeny of mainly Merino dams and 91 sires from several maternal crossing breeds including Border Leicester, East Friesian, Finnsheep and Coopworth. The ewes were born over 3 years and run at three sites where they were joined naturally to meat rams. Most of the ewes were first parity (autumn-joined at 7 months of age and spring-joined at 14–17 months of age), with the remainder second or third parity. The cohorts of ewes and sites were linked genetically by three common maternal sires. The 4-h oxytocin-induced milking procedure was used to estimate daily milk production and milk samples were analysed for composition (fat%, protein% and lactose%). Daily milk yield and milk composition traits were analysed using restricted maximum likelihood mixed models procedures. The sire breed of crossbred ewes was significant for milk yield (P<0.01), fat% (P<0.01) and lactose% (P<0.05). There was a significant (P<0.01) interaction of sire breed×days of lactation, mainly due to the relatively higher milk yield of the East Friesian and White Suffolk cross ewes compared with the other crosses, at the end of the lactation. The East Friesian cross ewes had lower milk fat% than the other cross ewes. Ewes suckling multiple lambs had 29% higher peak milk yield than those bearing and suckling single lambs (P<0.001). There was an increase in peak milk yield of the ewes from first to second parity, and third parity ewes had a greater decline to the end of lactation causing a significant interaction (P<0.001). The overall decline in milk yield from peak to late lactation was –21.2±0.7g/day. Separate analysis showed a significant increase in milk yield with ewe pre-joining weight (regression 6.1±1.8g/day.kg). The estimate of heritability for daily milk yield was 0.24±0.04 at 90 days of lactation and 0.10±0.02 at 21 days of lactation. The estimates of heritability for the milk composition traits were generally moderate. Estimates of genetic correlations between measurements early and late in the lactation for milk yield and most composition traits were high. The within ewe by stage variance component estimates of repeatability were moderate to high for milk yield, fat% and protein%, with lactose% being low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Dairy sheep are not usually milked when they are pregnant and it is not known if pregnancy reduces either milk yield or the persistency of lactation. To test this hypothesis, East Friesian crossbred ewes were ranked according to milk yield and ewes producing ≥1000mL/d at day 90 of machine milking were allocated into two groups, one of which was mated (n =91) while the other group was not (n =102). Pregnancy was diagnosed 40d later. Milk volumes were recorded fortnightly until production fell below 500mL/d or until the experiment was discontinued after 184d of machine milking. Daily milk yield declined during the last 90d of lactation (P ≤0.001) and differences between treatments were observed at days 157, 173 and 184 of machine milking (P <0.05). Pregnancy affected daily milk yield as early as day 67 of pregnancy, increases the rate of decline in milk yield (12.9±0.6mL/d vs. 9.0±0.5mL/d, P ≤0.001), and reduces the number of days (172±2.9d vs. 181±2.6d, P =0.022) ewes are milked by machine. Pregnancy did not result in significant losses of commercial milk yield (246±7L vs. 259±7L, P =0.193). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The aim of the study was to determine the influence of the herd (A and B), stage of lactation (0-60th day; 61st-150th day and 151st - drying off) and number of lactation (I., II. III. IV. and other) on daily milk yield, physical-chemical properties and the hygienic quality of East Friesian sheep milk. The study was conducted during 2004 and 2005 years on a 100 sheep sample. The milk samples were taken during morning and evening milking after weaning, every 30 days during lactation. The physical-chemical properties and the hygienic quality of milk were determined by reference and standard methods. The collected data were statistically analysed by the PROC ANOVA, SAS programme. The East Friesian sheep in the lactation of 217 days, produced in average 1040 mL milk/day. A significant effect (P < 0,001) of the herd was determined on the daily milk yield, dry matter non fat, freezing point, protein content (P < 0,01) and pH value (P < 0,01). The stage of lactation had a significant effect (P < 0,001) on all analyzed parameters except on somatic cell count. The highest content of fat (6.53 %), proteins (5.44 %), dry matter (17.45 %) and dry matter non fat (10.98 %) were determined at the end of lactation, while the content of lactose (4.61 %) was the lowest. Significant coefficient of correlations (P<0,05) were also determined between daily milk yield and: the content of dry matter (-0,46), milk fat (-0,51), proteins (-0,39), lactose (0,51), dry matter non fat (-0,28), pH value (0,14). From the results, it can be concluded that the herd, stage and number of lactation have significant influence on the most analyzed parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Linear models were used to analyse the relationships between the prion protein genotypes and the height at the withers and rump, the heart girth and the length of the trunk of 440 East Friesian milk sheep. Significant associations were found between the ARR allele and the height of the withers and rump, and heart girth. The average height at the withers of the homozygous ARR/ARR sheep was 1.9 cm less than that of ARQ/ARQ sheep and 1.6 cm less than in sheep heterozygous for ARR; the height at the rump, length of the trunk and heart girth were similarly smaller. In the ARR/ARR ewes, the average height at the withers was 2–6 cm less and the height at the rump was 1.9 cm less than in the ARQ/ARQ ewes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study which examined the effect of omission of machine stripping on milk production and parlor throughput in East Friesian dairy ewes. Review of related literature; Materials and methods used; Results and discussion.

The article presents a study on the East Friesian sheep carrying a Myostatin allele that causes muscle hypertrophy in other breed of sheep. It says that the samples of 79 East Friesian sheep, which were flanked with Myostatin gene, were genotyped. The results show that 70% of the sheep were homozygous for similar combination of microsatellite alleles suggesting a common mutation origin. Moreover, the close geographical proximity and anecdotal information also show a shared origin of the breeds.

The article focuses on the study that investigates the genetic linkage of PrP genes to the genes related to traits in East Friesian milk sheep. The potential of a breeding program to affect various type or production traits is discussed. The study also discusses factors, including the use of homozygous animals in selecting for scrapie resistance.