Effect of perennial ryegrass endophyte and a feed additive on some physiological parameters and intake of young ewes in winter
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33584/rps.13.2006.3165Abstract
Young merino ewes were offered a pelleted ration containing approx 15% perennial ryegrass seed, either infected or not infected with wild endophyte. Each group was split so that 10 ewes received the toxin deactivation product, Elitox®. Groups were fed indoors on treatment for 4 weeks in winter (average daily temperature, 11.5ºC). Analysis for endophyte toxins indicated intakes of 63 μg/kg LW/day ergovaline and 23 μg/kg LW/day lolitrem B. Increases in respiration rate and rectal temperature were obvious after 1 week. Respiration rate more than doubled for ewes ingesting toxin-containing wild endophyte. Differences were greater with observations taken at 9 pm, compared with those taken at 9 am. The intake and liveweight gain of ewes ingesting endophyte increased relative to those on the endophyte-free diet. Administration of Elitox®, resulted in a significant interaction: respiration rate and intake increased in the absence of endophyte, but decreased in its presence. Keywords: Merino sheep, perennial ryegrass, lolitrem B, ergovaline, Elitox®, intake, respiration rate, faecal moisture
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Rights granted to the New Zealand Grassland Association through this agreement are non-exclusive. You are free to publish the work(s) elsewhere and no ownership is assumed by the NZGA when storing or curating an electronic version of the work(s). The author(s) will receive no monetary return from the Association for the use of material contained in the manuscript. If I am one of several co-authors, I hereby confirm that I am authorized by my co-authors to grant this Licence as their agent on their behalf. For the avoidance of doubt, this includes the rights to supply the article in electronic and online forms and systems.
