Abstract
Peripartum in sheep is a critical period of high nutritional demand, as the animal's body undergoes several physiological changes due to the high energy expenditure for the development of one or more fetuses and for maintenance, and metabolic disturbances can occur. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of subclinical hypocalcemia in the pre-partum period on the metabolism of primiparous Lacaune ewes in the peripartum period. Thirteen primiparous Lacaune ewes with an average body weight of 73.54 ± 10.70 kg, an average body score of 3.12 ± 0.42 and an average age of 0.85 ± 0.55 pairs of teeth were used. Blood samples and body condition score evaluations were taken from the ewes on days -14, -9 and -4 days before they were due to give birth and on days 1, 3, 7 and 14 days after giving birth. The ewes' serum was analyzed for calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), beta hydroxy butyrate (BHB), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), paraoxonase 1 (PON1), albumin (ALB), total plasma proteins (PPT) and urea. The animals were categorized according to their average prepartum Ca levels into the normocalcemic group (NC ≥ 9.41) and subclinical hypocalcemia (HC < 9.41 mg/dl). The data was analyzed using SAS software. The number of lambs at birth did not influence serum calcium levels in primiparous ewes (P= 0.4687). There was an interaction between group and collection on calcium (P=0.0166) and magnesium (P=0.0428) levels. The highest level of magnesium was observed in the normocalcemic group at collection -14, while the lowest level of calcium was observed in the hypocalcemic group at collection -14. There was a collection effect on body condition score (BCS), NEFA, BHB, AST and GGT (P<0.05). The lowest BCS (P = 0.0300) and the highest levels of NEFA (P = 0.0143) and BHBA (P = 0.0316) were observed on day 14 after calving. Higher levels of AST and GGT were observed in the postpartum period (P<0.05). The number of lambs at birth does not influence calcemia, and negative energy balance is more pronounced after birth in primiparous Lacaune ewes.
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