Journal Article

Effects of maternal selenium supply and plane of nutrition during gestation on passive transfer of immunity and health in neonatal lambs

Redmer, D. A, Reed, J. J, Meyer, A. M, Hammer, C. J, Thorson, J. F, Reynolds, L. P, Luther, J. S, Neville, T. L, Caton, J. S, Vonnahme, K. A

2011

Overview

To investigate the influence of maternal Se supply and plane of nutrition on lamb morbidity, mortality, and passive transfer of IgG, pregnant ewe lambs were used in 2 experiments with 2 x 3 factorial treatment arrangements. Supplementation of Se began at breeding and was either adequate Se (ASe, 9.5 µg/kg of BW) or high Se (HSe, 81.8 µg/kg of BW) in Exp. 1 or ASe (11.5 µg/kg of BW) or HSe (77.0 µg/kg of BW) in Exp. 2. On d 50 or 40 of gestation for Exp. 1 or 2, respectively, ewes were assigned randomly to 1 of 3 nutritional planes: 60% (RES), 100% (control, CON), or 140% (HI) of NRC requirements. This resulted in the following treatments: ASe-RES, ASe-CON, ASe-HI, HSe-RES, HSe-CON, and HSe-HI. Upon parturition, lambs were separated from their dams and serum samples obtained. Lambs were fed artificial colostrum for the first 20 h and then placed on milk replacer and grain pellets until completion of the study (Exp. 1, 57 d; Exp. 2, 21 d). Twenty-four hours after parturition, lamb serum samples were collected for IgG analysis. All lambs were reared similarly and morbidity and mortality assessed. Main effects were considered significant when P ≤ 0.05. In Exp. 1, there was a Se x plane of nutrition interaction (P ≤ 0.01) for lamb morbidity from birth to weaning and for 24-h IgG concentration. Lambs from ASe-RES and HSe-HI ewes were treated more frequently (P < 0.01) for respiratory and gastrointestinal disease, and lambs from HSe-HI ewes had the smallest (P < 0.01) 24-h serum IgG concentration. In Exp. 1, lambs from HI ewes also had the greatest (P < 0.01) mortality rates from birth to weaning compared with lambs from CON and RES ewes. In Exp. 2, there was an effect (P < 0.01) of maternal plane of nutrition with lambs from RES ewes having increased 24-h IgG compared with lambs from CON and HI ewes. There was no effect of maternal Se supplementation on lamb 24-h IgG in Exp. 2; however, there was a Se x plane of nutrition interaction (P < 0.01) for morbidity. From birth to 21 d of age, lambs from ASe-CON ewes had fewer (P < 0.01) treatment days compared with lambs from any of the other treatment groups. There also tended (P = 0.08) to be an effect of maternal Se supplementation on lamb mortality with increased mortality observed in lambs from HSe ewes. Results from the studies show a restricted maternal plane of nutrition can increase lamb serum IgG concentration. Selenium results were not consistent between the 2 experiments and may be due to differences in maternal Se.

• Publisher: American Society of Animal Science
• Subject: administration & dosage / Animal productions / Animals / Animals, Newborn / Biological and medical sciences / Birth Weight / Birth Weight - immunology / blood / breeding / colostrum / Dietary Supplements / Dietary Supplements - standards / ewes / feeding level / Female / Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology / gastrointestinal system / immunity / immunoglobulin G / Immunoglobulin G - blood / immunology / lambs / Litter Size / Litter Size - immunology / Male / maternal effect / Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena - immunology / milk replacer / morbidity / mortality / Nutritional Status / Nutritional Status - immunology / parturition / pellets / pharmacology / Pregnancy / Random Allocation / selenium / Selenium - administration & dosage / Selenium - pharmacology / Sheep / Sheep - immunology / Terrestrial animal productions / Vertebrates / weaning