School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Locked Bag 588, Wagga Wagga, NSW, 2678, Australia; Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation (NSW Department of Primary Industries and Charles Sturt University), Albert Pugsley Place, Wagga Wagga, NSW, 2650, Australia; Fred Morley Centre, Charles Sturt University, Locked Bag 588, Wagga Wagga, NSW, 2678, Australia.
School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Locked Bag 588, Wagga Wagga, NSW, 2678, Australia.
Anim Reprod Sci. 2021 Aug;231:106799. doi: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2021.106799. Epub 2021 Jun 29.
Perinatal mortality of lambs is the major source of reproductive loss in extensive sheep production systems. Treatment with caffeine has reduced intra-partum mortality and/or improved metabolic indicators in other species following hypoxia. This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of caffeine for improving perinatal lamb survival. Experiment 1 comprised group-fed Merino ewes grazing pasture and offered 1.8 g/day (estimated 20 mg/kg live weight) caffeine throughout a 4-week lambing period, and a control without caffeine. The survival of lambs to marking (vaccinated, tail docked, males castrated) age in the caffeine treatment group (0.81) did not differ (P = 0.199) from that of control lambs (0.73; total born n = 877). Experiment 2 comprised Merino ewes lambing from three successive weekly joining groups. Treated ewes were drenched with an aqueous caffeine solution at a dose rate of 10 mg/kg live weight from the day before anticipated lambing, until the individual lambed. Control ewes were drenched with water. The proportion of lambs born dead (0.07) and the survival of lambs to marking age (caffeine 0.61; control 0.62) were similar between treatment groups (total born n = 1158). In both experiments, ewe mortality and the weight of lambs at marking were not altered by caffeine treatments. The results from this large-scale field study indicate caffeine is not an effective therapeutic agent to increase either intra-partum or perinatal survival, or lamb growth rates.
羔羊围产期死亡率是粗放型绵羊生产系统中繁殖损失的主要原因。在其他物种中，产前使用咖啡因治疗可以降低分娩期间的死亡率和/或改善代谢指标，这些物种经历了缺氧。本研究旨在评估咖啡因改善围产期羔羊存活率的效果。试验 1 中，组饲美利奴母羊放牧草地，并在 4 周的产羔期内每天提供 1.8g（估计为 20mg/kg 活重）咖啡因，而对照组不提供咖啡因。在咖啡因处理组中，标记（接种疫苗、剪尾、去势公羔）时羔羊的存活率（0.81）与对照组（0.73；总产羔数 n=877）无差异（P=0.199）。试验 2 包括从三个连续每周配种组分娩的美利奴母羊。处理组母羊从预期产羔前一天开始，按 10mg/kg 活重的剂量用含咖啡因的水溶液灌服，直到个体分娩。对照组母羊用灌服水。死产羔羊的比例（0.07）和标记时羔羊的存活率（咖啡因 0.61；对照组 0.62）在处理组之间相似（总产羔数 n=1158）。在这两个试验中，母羊死亡率和标记时羔羊体重均不受咖啡因处理的影响。这项大规模现场研究的结果表明，咖啡因不是一种有效的治疗药物，不能提高产羔期间或围产期的存活率，或羔羊的生长速度。
