Santa Ines Sheep Research Articles

Carcass characteristics of Santa Inês lambs finished on native pasture and subjected to different types of supplementation

This study aimed to evaluate the biometric measurements and characteristics of the carcass and retail cuts of 24 Santa Ines whole lambs finished in native pasture with different supplements. The animals were divided into four experimental diets: 200 g/day of a protein-energy supplement plus sodium chloride; 200 g/day of the protein-energy-mineral supplement; 300 g/day of the protein-energy-mineral supplement and 300 g/day of the protein-energy-min supplement without manganese. A complete randomized experimental design with four treatments and six replications was used. The supplements did not influence the biometric measurements, body score, slaughter weight, loss by cooling, weight of the half carcass, hot carcass yield, cold carcass yield or the biological yield and weight of retail cuts from the Santa Ines lambs. The weights of hot and cold carcass, empty body, gastrointestinal-tract contents and leg of the lambs that received 300 g/day of supplement without manganese were higher than those of lambs that received 200 g/day of supplement. The energetic protein-mineral supplementation systems evaluated were effective in obtaining quality carcasses under finishing recommendations of Santa Ines sheep on native pasture with an initial weight of approximately 19.9 kg and slaughtered at 200 days old.

Ovelha Santa Inês é mãe de cordeiros quadrigêmeos: relato de caso

O presente trabalho teve como objetivo descrever um caso de parto quadrigemelar em uma ovelha da raça Santa Inês. Em abril de 2013, foi atendida, em uma propriedade rural no município de Santa Cruz da Conceição, estado de São Paulo, uma ovelha da raça Sant Inês que havia parido quatro cordeiros. Nasceram três fêmeas, com pelagem marrom, branca e preta, e um macho, com pelagem preta. No período de uma hora após o parto, todos os cordeiros ficaram em pé e mamaram o colostro. A ovelha não rejeitou nenhum dos cordeiros.

<b>Adaptive parameters and thermal comfort of postpartum ewes fed on concentrate supplementation in grazing system

Current analysis evaluated adaptive parameters and thermal comfort of postpartum ewes fed on concentrate supplementation in grazing system. Thirty lactating pluriparous sheep, 16 Santa Ines (SI) and 14 Morada Nova (MN) were used. Physiological parameters such as respiratory rate (RR), heart rate (HR) and rectal temperature (RT) were measured, in that order, with the animals at rest in the morning (6:00-7:00 am) and in the afternoon (1:00-2:00 pm), respectively, every seven days, with 10 samples. A significant effect (p < 0.05) for RR and HR was reported in the strain. Similar behavior was reported for RR between the breeds where MN sheep had high adaptability. Supplementation levels of 0.5 and 1.5% influenced (p < 0.05) RR which was stronger in the sheep that received the highest supplementation level, possibly due to calorie increase in the diet. However, HR and RT parameters did not differ within the breed due to supplementation. HR was higher between the breeds for SI sheep at 0.5%. Results show that concentrated supplementation affected the respiratory rate of ewes in the postpartum period, with higher calorie increment at 1.5% level and superiority for Santa Ines ewes. Greater adaptability of Morada Nova sheep has been indicated when fed on concentrated diet in grazing system.

Performance of the Santa Ines breed raised on pasture in semiarid tropical regions and factors that explain trait variation.

This study aimed to evaluate sex, the number of lambs per birth, and the family effects on production traits in the Santa Ines breed of sheep by estimating the least square means and coefficient of variance for those traits. A total of 484 lambs were evaluated for the following traits: weight at birth, at weaning, and at 240 days of age; weight gain during the pre-weaning and post-weaning periods; height, width, and length of different body regions; and rib eye area and fat thickness between the 12th and 13th ribs. We observed coefficients of variation higher than 10 % for several traits. Generally, males were larger than females (P < 0.05), while lambs from single and double births were larger than lambs from triple births (P < 0.05). Family effect was significant (P < 0.05) for most traits and explained the highest percentage of residual variance. The results showed good development of Santa Ines sheep, especially during the pre-weaning period but no in post-weaning. Our study also showed that there is an effect of sex, birth type, and family, which must be included in any statistical model for the estimation of least square means and residual variance in ANOVA.

Degradação ruminal da biomassa de fenos de gramíneas do género Cynodon spp

Aimed to evaluate the in situ degradability of different diets based on hay genotypes (Tifton 68, Tifton 85, Jiggs, Russel, Vaquero and Coast cross) belonging to the genus Cynodon, in six Santa Ines sheep, with an average weight of 40 kg, and fitted with rumen cannulas, were kept in individual pens. The diets were incubated in decreasing order of 96, 72, 48, 24, 12, 6, 3 and 0-h. We used the Latin square experimental design with six treatments, six animals and six replications. The diets, based on hay Jiggs, Tifton 68, Tifton 85 and Coast Cross, degradability showed above 59 %. However, diets based on hay Jiggs and Coast cross had lower mean (p<0.05) (30.28 and 28.90%) for effective degradation, respectively, on the other diets. The use of grass hay belonging to the genus Cynodon has potential for use in diets for lambs once considered the parameters observed in this study.

Estrutura e distribuição geográfica do rebanho de ovinos Santa Inês no estado do Piauí

Objetivou-se descrever o quantitativo, distribuição e estrutura do rebanho de ovino da raça Santa Inês no estado do Piauí. Foram analisados dados de registros genealógicos da raça Santa Inês, mantidos pela Associação Brasileira de Criadores de Ovinos (ARCO), referentes ao período de 1992 a 2012. Foram realizadas análises estatísticas descritivas de modo a conhecer como o rebanho Santa Inês está estruturado. Foi realizada a classificação do rebanho quanto a sua estrutura organizacional, determinada com base na origem e uso dos reprodutores, utilizando-se o programa ENDOG. v.4.8. O registro dos animais da raça Santa Inês, no Piauí, teve inicio em 1990, e a maior representatividade foi verificada no período de 1993 a 2001. Quanto à estrutura dos rebanhos, 56,8% foram classificados como rebanhos multiplicadores (estrato intermediário da pirâmide) e 43,2% como rebanhos comerciais (base da pirâmide), sendo que não se observou nenhum rebanho núcleo e nem isolado. A falta de rebanhos núcleo da raça no Estado pode ser uma das causas da redução do número de animais registrados nos últimos anos no Piauí.

Efeitos ambientais sobre características reprodutivas em ovinos Santa Inês

O objetivo com esta pesquisa foi estudar efeitos ambientais sobre a prolificidade e a taxa de desmame em ovinos Santa Inês, por meio de modelos lineares generalizados. Foram utilizados dados do rebanho experimental de ovinos da raça Santa Inês, da Universidade Federal do Piauí, Campus Universitário Professora Cinobelina Elvas, em Bom Jesus-PI, no período de 2008 a 2010. Os efeitos ambientais estudados foram: ano de cobertura, Período de cobertura, Período de nascimento, tipo de nascimento, sexo da cria, idade da mãe ao parto, peso da mãe ao parto e peso ao nascer como covariável. Para análise estatística foi utilizado o procedimento GENMOD contido no programa SAS. Os valores médios de prolificidade e taxa de desmame foram respectivamente 1,36 e 68,18%. O efeito do peso da mãe ao parto foi significativo sobre a prolificidade. Observou-se efeito significativo de Período de nascimento sobre a taxa de desmame. As correlações entre características produtivas e reprodutivas variaram de negativas a positivas de baixa magnitude. Os efeitos de peso da mãe ao parto e peso ao nascer mostraram-se importantes fontes de variação para prolificidade e taxa de desmame, o que reflete a necessidade de considerar estes efeitos em modelos de avaliação genética e fenotípica.

ASSOCIATION OF MICROSATELLITE MARKERS WITH PRODUCTION TRAITS IN SANTA INÊS AND CROSSBRED SHEEP

O objetivo deste estudo foi de associar alelos de 13 loci de microssatélites no cromossomo 20 de ovinos (Major Histocompatibility Complex - MHC) com características de desempenho e carcaça bem como resistência à parasitas gastrointestinais em 138 ovinos Santa Inês e seus cruzamentos com Bergamasca, Texel e Ile de France. Os seguintes loci foram selecionados: BM1818, OarCP73, OarHH56, DYA, OLADRB, CP101, OMHC1, DQA2, DQA1, TFAP2A, DQBA27, Bf94_1, e INRA132. Dados foram analisados em Cervus e SAS ® para determinar níveis de heterozygosidade e associações de marcadores com peso, carcaça e ovos por grama de fezes (OPG). Os marcadores mostraram alta variabilidade genética entre indivíduos. Para características de carcaça oito associações significativas (p&lt;0.05) foram observadas, bem como associação positiva entre OPG e dois marcadores da MHC ovina.

Comparison of rumen fluid pH by continuous telemetry system and bench pH meter in sheep with different ranges of ruminal pH.

We aimed to compare the measurements of sheep ruminal pH using a continuous telemetry system or a bench pH meter using sheep with different degrees of ruminal pH. Ruminal lactic acidosis was induced in nine adult crossbred Santa Ines sheep by the administration of 15 g of sucrose per kg/BW. Samples of rumen fluid were collected at the baseline, before the induction of acidosis (T 0) and at six, 12, 18, 24, 48, and 72 hours after the induction for pH measurement using a bench pH meter. During this 72-hour period, all animals had electrodes for the continuous measurement of pH. The results were compared using the Bland-Altman analysis of agreement, Pearson coefficients of correlation and determination, and paired analysis of variance with Student's t-test. The measurement methods presented a strong correlation (r = 0.94, P < 0.05) but the rumen pH that was measured continuously using a telemetry system resulted in lower values than the bench pH meter (overall mean of 5.38 and 5.48, resp., P = 0.0001). The telemetry system was able to detect smaller changes in rumen fluid pH and was more accurate in diagnosing both subacute ruminal lactic acidosis and acute ruminal lactic acidosis in sheep.

Sustainable worm control practices in South America

A high prevalence of nematodes, especially Haemonchus contortus and Trichostrongylus colubriformis, that exhibit multiple anthelmintics resistance has been reported in sheep in several South American countries. For this reason, the development of strategies that are less dependent on anthelmintic treatments is imperative for the prophylaxis of gastrointestinal nematode infections in small ruminants. Integrated grazing using cattle and sheep can be used for pasture decontamination with considerable reduction of H. contortus and T. colubriformis infective larvae after cattle grazing. Several breeds of sheep exhibit genetically related resistance against nematode infections, as is the case of “crioulo”, “native” or naturalised breeds of sheep. These breeds descend from livestock introduced by Portuguese and Spanish settlers and have been submitted to a long process of natural selection in various environmental conditions. In the South, the Crioula Lanada breed is more resistant to H. contortus than are Corriedale sheep. In tropical areas, where the minimum temperatures are usually higher than 20°C, hair sheep flourish, especially the Santa Ines breed, which also display a higher level of resistance to nematode infections compared with certain breeds of European origin. However, Santa Ines sheep have inferior carcass quality compared with other commercial breeds. Recent studies showed that the crossbreeding of Santa Ines ewes with sires of breeds with high potential for growth and meat production, results in crossbred animals with high productivity and a satisfactory degree of resistance against nematode infections. Several studies have indicated that improvement in nutrition has a beneficial effect on the development of resistance in lambs that were naturally or artificially infected with nematodes. Therefore, supplementary feeding and breeding strategies to improve resistance to nematodes are feasible options in the effort to reduce dependence on anthelmintic drugs to control worm infections in sheep.

Feeding behavior and performance of sheep fed cactus pear in substitution of corn

The objective of this study was to evaluate the feeding behavior and performance of Santa Ines sheep subjected to different levels of substitution of corn by cactus pear in the diet. Forty-fivenon-castrated male Santa Inês sheep with initial live weight of 27.50±0.48 kg were distributed in a completely randomized design with five treatments (0, 70, 140, 210 and 280 g/kg DM) and nine replicates. Dry matter and neutral detergent fiberintakes showed quadratic behavior. Times spent eating, ruminating and total ruminating chews showed increasing linear behavior, while the idle time decreased with increasing amounts of dietary cactus. The feeding efficiency (gDM/h) increased linearly, while differences in rumination efficiency of the DM (g DM/h); NDF intake efficiency (gNDF/h) and NDF rumination efficiency (gNDF/h) were not significant. There was no significant effect for the number of ruminated boli and number of ruminating chews per bolus. The number of chews per day increased linearly. These results indicate that cactus pear in substitution of corn had no influence on the feeding behavior of feedlot sheep.

Intoxicação aguda por cobre em ovinos

Descrevem-se casos de intoxicação aguda por cobre em ovinos da raça Santa Inês, numa propriedade rural, no Rio Grande do Sul. Três ovelhas recém-paridas, que consumiam ração formulada para bovinos, ingeriram, avidamente, sal mineral comercial para bovinos e apresentaram doença clínica e morte, uma semana após a introdução do sal. Os animais desenvolveram anorexia, permaneceram em decúbito lateral, o qual evoluiu para esternal e apresentaram fasciculação e rigidez muscular generalizada, antes de morrerem. À necropsia de um desses animais, as principais alterações foram hepatomegalia moderada e acentuação do padrão lobular hepático, além de erosões e ulcerações multifocais aleatórias na mucosa abomasal. Na avaliação histológica do fígado, havia necrose hepatocelular centrolobular acentuada e difusa, tumefação de hepatócitos, predominantemente, na região periportal, além de pequena quantidade de células de Kupffer com pigmento granular citoplasmático. O diagnóstico baseou-se na história clínica, nos achados de necropsia e histopatológicos e confirmou-se pelas altas concentrações de cobre detectadas no tecido hepático e nas amostras de ração e sal mineral.

Parâmetros fisiológicos de ovinos Santa Inês submetidos a sombreamento com tela de polipropileno

Neste trabalho objetivou-se verificar a influência do uso de tela de polipropileno com 80% de retenção luminosa nas respostas fisiológicas de ovinos da raça Santa Inês submetidos a pastejo; para isto, um experimento foi montado em Petrolina, PE, no período de junho a novembro de 2010 e adotados dois tratamentos (com sombreamento e sem sombreamento) com 20 animais em cada um. Aferiu-se a temperatura retal, a temperatura da superfície cutânea e a frequência respiratória, às 7 h e 15 h, duas vezes por semana. Foram medidos dados meteorológicos visando à determinação do índice de temperatura de globo negro e umidade, a cada 2 h, por 24 h durante todo o experimento. Verificou-se, após análise dos dados, que os ovinos do tratamento com sombreamento sofreram redução em todas as variáveis fisiológicas avaliadas, quando comparados com os do tratamento sem sombreamento. A utilização do sombreamento é justificada, em especial no período da tarde visto que todas as variáveis sofrem maior alteração.

Ocorrência de anticorpos contra o vírus Maedi-Visna em ovinos Santa Inês, no Estado de Sergipe, Brasil

As Lentiviroses de Pequenos Ruminantes (LVPR) são enfermidades infecciosas de etiologia viral causadas por retrovírus, caracterizadas por uma doença de degeneração progressiva e lenta. O objetivo deste estudo foi determinar a ocorrência de anticorpos contra o lentivírus no rebanho ovino Santa Inês, de Sergipe. Para analisar o número mínimo de amostras utilizou-se o cálculo de Astudillo, com prevalência esperada (p) de 10%, margem de erro (α) de 20% e grau de confiança de 95% (g = 1,96), obtendo-se o número mínimo de amostras (n) de 861. Foram colhidas 941 amostras de soro ovino oriundas de 54 propriedades e 19 municípios distribuídos nas três mesorregiões do Estado, sendo o número de amostras proporcional ao efetivo ovino do município. O soro foi acondicionado a -20°C até a realização do teste de Imunodifusão em Gel de Ágar (IDGA). Os resultados considerados positivos ou suspeitos na IDGA foram reavaliados através da técnica de Western blotting. Dos animais amostrados, 194 (20,62%) eram machos e 747 (79,38%) eram fêmeas. Quanto à estratificação por idade, 300 ovinos eram jovens (31,88%), entre seis meses e um ano, 308 (32,73%) eram jovens adultos, entre 1 e 3 anos, e 333 (35,39%) tinham idade estimada superior a 3 anos. Os resultados obtidos demonstraram que anticorpos contra o vírus Maedi-Visna (MVV) ocorrem no rebanho ovino do estado de Sergipe em baixa frequência (0,11%). Assim, relata-se a ocorrência da infecção por Maedi-Visna em ovinos no estado de Sergipe e ressalta-se a participação do trânsito de animais na epidemiologia da doença.

Blood leptin, insulin and glucose concentrations in hair sheep raised in a tropical climate

The aims of this study were to determine the effects of body condition score (BCS), breed and dietary supplementation on the concentrations of leptin, insulin and glucose found in the blood obtained from hair sheep during the breeding season. A further aim was to investigate the possible association of fertility and prolificacy with these blood metabolites, BCS and body weight (BW). All ewes were grazed in paddocks with ad libitum access to mineral salts and water. A total of 96 ewes were divided into two groups according to breed and treatment: Santa Ines (supplemented or unsupplemented) (24×24) and Morada Nova (supplemented or unsupplemented) (24×24). Blood samples, and BW and BCS information were collected during the breeding season. The statistical analyses were performed using the program PROC GLM from the SAS software. The leptin concentrations in hair sheep raised in a tropical climate were low. Little effect of breed, treatment or sample collection was found for blood insulin concentrations (p<0.05), although the values were higher in the supplemented groups from both breeds. Significant differences were observed in glucose concentrations between the breeds in the same sample collections, with the higher concentrations being found in the Santa Ines sheep (p<0.05). The BCS for ewes that were not pregnant showed the highest correlation with leptin, insulin and glucose concentrations (r=0.53, 0.52 and 0.43, respectively). In the Morada Nova supplemented sheep (prolificacy: 1.45), there were verified correlations between BCS and BW, BCS and insulin concentration, and also between insulin and leptin concentrations. The present study shows that the Morada Nova breed has a higher reproductive efficiency than the Santa Ines breed. In conclusion, leptin was present in low concentrations in hair sheep and did not influence the reproductive processes in these animals. The dietary supplementation positively affected blood leptin, insulin and glucose concentrations in these breeds of hair sheep, but there was no major effect on the reproductive processes.

OVUM PICK UP (LOPU) IN SANTA INES SHEEP: LEARNING CURVE AND TECHNICAL DETAILS Aspiração folicular ovariana em ovelhas da raça Santa Inês: curva do aprendizado e detalhes técnicos

The aim of the current study was to assess the efficacy, the learning curve and associated technical difficulties oflaparoscopic ovum pick-up (LOPU) in sheep. Ten ovum pick-up sessions were performed in six Santa Ines sheep during a cycle of 7-day intervals, totaling 60 laparoscopic procedures. The sheep were managed for synchronizationof the estrous cycle. The laparoscopic approach was carried out using three ports. The number of follicles viewed, aspirated follicles and oocytes recovered were 13.32 ± 2.8, 11.37 ± 2.8 and 6.36 ± 2.0, respectively. Total operation time was used to assess the learning curve among 10 laparoscopic sessions. Mean surgical time was relatively short (26.75 ± 9.6 minutes). Surgical time decreased from the first session on (P &lt; 0.05). LOPU was demonstrated to be a procedure with little intercurrence and with a short learning curve. Others studies regarding this technique should be performed to minimize possible complications and enabling its use in the field

Supplementation with protected fat to manage gastro-intestinal nematode infections in Santa Ines sheep

O objetivo do experimento foi verificar a influencia da suplementacao com gordura protegida na infeccao por nematodeos gastrintestinais em ovelhas Santa Ines no periparto ou terco final de gestacao. Cinquenta ovelhas Santa Ines receberam 200 g de concentrado/animal/dia, sal mineral e agua, sendo divididas de acordo com peso, numero de ovos por grama de fezes (OPG) e porcentagem do hematocrito em duas dietas, consideradas como tratamento controle e tratamento com suplementacao de 30g/dia/animal de gordura protegida no concentrado. Duas avaliacoes mensais foram realizadas durante tres meses, totalizando 84 dias de experimentacao. As variaveis analisadas foram peso e condicao corporal, OPG e coprocultura, contagem de leucocitos e eosinofilos, verificacao do volume globular, concentracao de hemoglobina e dosagem de proteina plasmatica total. Em relacao as variaveis peso e hemoglobina, houve interacao entre as dietas e as coletas (P 0,05) mas sim durante as coletas (P 0,05). O genero Haemonchus foi predominante, seguido pelos generos Cooperia , Trichostrongylus and Oesophagostomum A suplementacao com gordura protegida na quantidade de 30g/animal/dia, nao interferiu na diminuicao do OPG ou melhora dos parâmetros sanguineos em infeccao parasitaria nas ovelhas deste estudo.

Supplementation with protected fat to manage gastro-intestinal nematode infections in Santa Ines sheep

O objetivo do experimento foi verificar a influência da suplementação com gordura protegida na infecção por nematódeos gastrintestinais em ovelhas Santa Ines no periparto ou terço final de gestação. Cinqüenta ovelhas Santa Inês receberam 200 g de concentrado/animal/dia, sal mineral e água, sendo divididas de acordo com peso, número de ovos por grama de fezes (OPG) e porcentagem do hematócrito em duas dietas, consideradas como tratamento controle e tratamento com suplementação de 30g/dia/animal de gordura protegida no concentrado. Duas avaliações mensais foram realizadas durante três meses, totalizando 84 dias de experimentação. As variáveis analisadas foram peso e condição corporal, OPG e coprocultura, contagem de leucócitos e eosinófilos, verificação do volume globular, concentração de hemoglobina e dosagem de proteína plasmática total. Em relação as variáveis peso e hemoglobina, houve interação entre as dietas e as coletas (P&lt;0,05); as variáveis condição corporal, proteína plasmática total, volume globular e leucócitos totais não apresentaram diferença estatística entre as dietas (P&gt;0,05) mas sim durante as coletas (P&lt;0,05). As variáveis OPG e eosinófilos não apresentaram diferença estatística (P&gt;0,05). O gênero Haemonchus foi predominante, seguido pelos gêneros Cooperia , Trichostrongylus and Oesophagostomum A suplementação com gordura protegida na quantidade de 30g/animal/dia, não interferiu na diminuição do OPG ou melhora dos parâmetros sanguíneos em infecção parasitária nas ovelhas deste estudo.

Nutrient absorption in lambs fed diets containing different amounts of phosphorus

ABSTRACTObjective. Evaluate the effect of increasing P intake on nutrient digestibility, and compare the true and apparent absorption coefficients of P and Ca in lambs. Materials and methods. Twenty-four Santa Ines sheep, with an average weight of 33.6 ± 1.6 kg, were distributed into four treatments (0, 2, 4 and 6 g/day of supplementary P) with forage: concentrate ratio of 70:30. The study of apparent nutrient digestibility was conducted during the first week, using the total feces collection method. During the second week, after injection of 7.4 MBq of 32P and 7.7 MBq of 45Ca, apparent (AAC) and true (TAC) absorption coefficients of P and Ca were determined. The lambs were kept in metabolic cages. Results. The increase in P intake did not affect (p&gt;0.05) dry matter, crude protein, NDF or ADF digestibility, but the TAC of P and Ca and mineral matter digestibility decreased. The AAC was not affected (p=0.10). A cubic relationship was observed between P intake and TAC (TAC=2.16–1.95X+0.55X2-0.04X3; R2=0.38) and linear relationship with the TAC of Ca (TAC=0.559–0.03X; R2=0.26). TAC and AAC values were different (p&lt;0.001). Conclusions. The increase in P intake doesn’t impact organic matter digestibility, but does affect P and Ca absorption. Apparent digestibility is not a reliable parameter to determine the efficiency of P and Ca absorption.

Mesquite pod meal in diets for Santa Inês sheep: ingestive behavior

This study aimed to evaluate the ingestive behavior of sheep fed increasing levels of mesquite pod meal (0, 15, 30 and 45% in total dry matter diet), replacing grass silage elephant. Eight non-castrated Santa Ines sheep with average weight of 32 kg were divided into two 4 x 4 Latin squares, each lasting 15 days. The sheep were submitted to visual observation every ten minutes, for 24 hours, in the 13thday of each experimental period. There was no significant regression (p > 0.05) relative to the time spent on feeding, rumination and resting, depending on the levels of substitution of mesquite pod meal. The average time spent on feeding, rumination and resting was 5.64, 10.88 and 8.8h day-1, respectively. There was a positive linear effect (p < 0.05) regarding the levels of replacement of elephant grass silage by mesquite pod meal on dry matter intake (DMI), neutral detergent fiber intake (NDFI), feeding efficiency of DM, rumination efficiency of DM, rumination efficiency of NDF. The use of observation intervals of up to 30 minutes does not alter the assessment of time spent on feeding, rumination and resting.