Dwyer C M, Lawrence A B, Brown H E, Simm G
Genetics and Behavioural Sciences Department, SAC-Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
Reprod Fertil Dev. 1996;8(8):1123-9. doi: 10.1071/rd9961123.
To distinguish between ewe and lamb breed effects on prenatal growth, ease of parturition and early lamb behaviour, an embryo-transfer study was carried out using a hill breed (Scottish Blackface; liveweight: 54.25 +/- 1.03 kg, mean +/- s.e.m.) and a lowland breed (Suffolk; 80.33 +/- 1.52 kg) to obtain the four possible combinations of ewe and lamb. Data were collected from 38 Blackface ewes (18 with Blackface lambs and 20 with Suffolk lambs) and 41 Suffolk ewes (20 with Blackface lambs and 21 with Suffolk lambs); all ewes were given single embryos. Suffolk lambs had a significantly longer gestation than Blackface lambs (1.5 days, P < 0.01), regardless of ewe breed. Suffolk lambs also had a longer labour (20 min, P < 0.05) and were significantly more likely to require birth assistance (17/21, 81% of all assisted deliveries; P < 0.001), as were male lambs (19/21, 90%; P < 0.01). These variables were independent of ewe breed. Blackface lambs were significantly more active than Suffolk lambs in the first 2 h after birth; ewe breed had little effect on lamb behaviour. Blackface lambs stood twice as quickly as Suffolk lambs after birth (13 min v. 24 min; P < 0.001), and were significantly more likely to suckle within the first 2 h after birth (92% v. 66%; P < 0.05). The behavioural retardation of Suffolk lambs may be a consequence of their birth difficulty which increases their likelihood of suffering birth trauma and hypoxia at parturition. Together, these factors may increase the probability of neonatal death in these lambs.
为了区分母羊品种和羔羊品种对产前生长、分娩难易程度及羔羊早期行为的影响，开展了一项胚胎移植研究，使用山地品种（苏格兰黑脸羊；体重：54.25±1.03千克，平均值±标准误）和低地品种（萨福克羊；80.33±1.52千克）来获得母羊和羔羊的四种可能组合。从38只黑脸母羊（18只产黑脸羔羊，20只产萨福克羔羊）和41只萨福克母羊（20只产黑脸羔羊，21只产萨福克羔羊）收集数据；所有母羊均植入单个胚胎。无论母羊品种如何，萨福克羔羊的妊娠期均显著长于黑脸羔羊（1.5天，P<0.01）。萨福克羔羊的分娩时间也更长（20分钟，P<0.05），且需要助产的可能性显著更高（21只中有17只，占所有助产分娩的81%；P<0.001），雄性羔羊也是如此（21只中有19只，占90%；P<0.01）。这些变量与母羊品种无关。黑脸羔羊在出生后的头2小时内比萨福克羔羊活跃得多；母羊品种对羔羊行为影响不大。黑脸羔羊出生后站立速度是萨福克羔羊的两倍（13分钟对24分钟；P<0.001），且在出生后头2小时内吮乳的可能性显著更高（92%对66%；P<0.05）。萨福克羔羊的行为迟缓可能是其出生困难的结果，这增加了它们在分娩时遭受产伤和缺氧的可能性。这些因素共同作用可能会增加这些羔羊新生儿死亡的概率。
