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Martin GB. Perspective: science and the future of livestock industries. Front Vet Sci 2024; 11:1359247. [PMID: 38282972 PMCID: PMC10808306 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1359247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Since the 1990s, livestock industries have been forced to respond to major pressures from society, particularly with respect to methane emissions and animal welfare. These challenges are exacerbated by the inevitability of global heating and the effects it will have on livestock productivity. The same challenges also led to questions about the value of animal-sourced foods for feeding the world. The industries and the research communities supporting them are meeting those challenges. For example, we can now envisage solutions to the ruminant methane problem and those solutions will also improve the efficiency of meat and milk production. Animal welfare is a complex mix of health, nutrition and management. With respect to health, the 'One Health' concept is offering better perspectives, and major diseases, such as helminth infection, compounded by resistance against medication, are being resolved through genetic selection. With respect to nutrition and stress, 'fetal programming' and the epigenetic mechanisms involved offer novel possibilities for improving productivity. Stress needs to be minimized, including stress caused by extreme weather events, and solutions are emerging through technology that reveals when animals are stressed, and through an understanding of the genes that control susceptibility to stress. Indeed, discoveries in the molecular biology of physiological processes will greatly accelerate genetic progress by contributing to genomic solutions. Overall, the global context is clear - animal-sourced food is an important contributor to the future of humanity, but the responses of livestock industries must involve local actions that are relevant to geographical and socio-economic constraints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graeme B. Martin
- The UWA Institute of Agriculture and UWA School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
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Haslin E, Allington T, Blumer SE, Boshoff J, Clarke BE, Hancock SN, Kearney GA, Kenyon PR, Krog J, Kubeil LJ, Lockwood A, Refshauge G, Trompf JP, Thompson AN. Management of Body Condition Score between Pregnancy Scanning and Lamb Marking Impacts the Survival of Triplet-Bearing Ewes and Their Lambs. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2057. [PMID: 37443855 DOI: 10.3390/ani13132057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
This study evaluated the impacts of management of body condition score (BCS) between pregnancy scanning and lamb marking on the mortality of triplet-bearing ewes and their lambs at 19 research sites across Southern Australia. Triplet-bearing ewes of Maternal (crossbred or composite) or Merino breed were randomly allocated to treatment at pregnancy scanning at an average of 97 days from the start of joining: High or Low BCS. The BCS of individual ewes was assessed at pregnancy scanning, pre-lambing (average of 137 days from the start of joining) and marking (average of 165 days from the end of joining), and ewe and lamb mortality to marking, recorded for each mob. The average BCS at pregnancy scanning was 3.4 for Maternal ewes and 3.3 for Merino ewes. There were no breed by BCS treatment effects on the BCS of ewes at pregnancy scanning or lamb marking or on the change in BCS between pregnancy scanning and pre-lambing or between pre-lambing and marking. The change in BCS differed between the High and Low BCS treatments, between pregnancy scanning and pre-lambing (0.12 vs. -0.33; p < 0.001) and between pre-lambing and marking (-0.39 vs. 0.07; p < 0.001) but did not differ between breeds. The average BCS at marking for ewes managed at the High and Low BCS treatments was 3.1 and 3.0 for Maternals and 3.0 and 2.8 for Merinos. Survival of triplet-bearing Merino ewes (p < 0.01) and their lambs (p < 0.001) was greater when ewes were managed at the High BCS compared to the Low BCS. The BCS treatment did not impact the survival of Maternal ewes or their lambs. The survival of Merino but not Maternal lambs was higher when ewes were in greater BCS pre-lambing (p < 0.01) and when ewes gained BCS between pregnancy scanning and pre-lambing (p < 0.01). Ewe mortality was lower when ewes gained BCS between pregnancy scanning and pre-lambing (p < 0.05). Merino ewes were more likely to die than Maternal ewes for a given change in BCS between pregnancy scanning and pre-lambing (p = 0.065). Overall, our findings demonstrate that producers should manage the nutrition of triplet-bearing Merino ewes so that ewes are in greater BCS at lambing and/or to gain BCS between pregnancy scanning and lambing to improve ewe and lamb survival. Triplet-bearing Maternal ewes should be managed to gain BCS between pregnancy scanning and lambing to improve ewe survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuelle Haslin
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Tennent Drive, Palmerston North 4410, New Zealand
| | - Travis Allington
- Centre for Animal Production and Health, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
| | - Sarah E Blumer
- Centre for Animal Production and Health, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
| | - Johan Boshoff
- Faculty of Science, Agriculture, Business and Law, University of New England, Elm Avenue, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia
| | - Bronwyn E Clarke
- Centre for Animal Production and Health, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
| | - Serina N Hancock
- Centre for Animal Production and Health, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
| | | | - Paul R Kenyon
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Tennent Drive, Palmerston North 4410, New Zealand
| | - Jarryd Krog
- Centre for Animal Production and Health, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
| | - Lyndon J Kubeil
- Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, 89 Sydney Road, Benalla, VIC 3672, Australia
| | - Amy Lockwood
- Centre for Animal Production and Health, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
| | - Gordon Refshauge
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Cowra Agricultural Research and Advisory Station, 296 Binni Creek Road, Cowra, NSW 2351, Australia
| | - Jason P Trompf
- J.T. Agri-Source, 2A Bradley Drive, Melbourne, VIC 3082, Australia
| | - Andrew N Thompson
- Centre for Animal Production and Health, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
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Lockwood A, Allington T, Blumer SE, Boshoff J, Clarke BE, Hancock SN, Kearney GA, Kenyon PR, Krog J, Kubeil LJ, Refshauge G, Trompf JP, Thompson AN. Decreasing Mob Size at Lambing Increases the Survival of Triplet Lambs Born on Farms across Southern Australia. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:1936. [PMID: 37370446 DOI: 10.3390/ani13121936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Industry consultation in Australia revealed that the potential impact of the mob size of ewes during lambing on the survival of triplet-born lambs was an important research priority. Previous research has demonstrated that smaller mob sizes at lambing improve the survival of single- and especially twin-born lambs, regardless of ewe stocking rate. Therefore, we hypothesised that lambing triplet-bearing ewes in smaller mobs, regardless of stocking rate, will increase the survival of their lambs. Research sites were established on 12 commercial sheep farms across southern Australia between 2019 and 2021. One farm used Merinos whilst the remainder of the farms used non-Merino breeds, consisting of composite ewes joined to composite or terminal sires. Three of the farms were used in two years of the experiment. Adult, triplet-bearing ewes were randomly allocated into one of two treatments, 'High' or 'Low' mob size, at an average of 135 days from the start of joining. Ewe and lamb survival were assessed between allocation to treatments and lamb marking. Lamb survival was significantly greater for lambs born in the Low (65.6%) compared with the High (56.6%) mob size treatments (p < 0.001). There was no effect of mob size at lambing on the mortality of triplet-bearing ewes. Analysis of the effect of the actual mob sizes showed that reducing the mob size at lambing by 10 triplet-bearing ewes increased the survival of their lambs to marking by 1.5% (p < 0.001). This study has shown that the survival of triplet-born lambs can be improved by lambing triplet-bearing ewes in smaller mobs regardless of stocking rate when ranging from 0.7-13 ewes/ha.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Lockwood
- Centre for Animal Production and Health, Murdoch University, Perth, WA 6150, Australia
| | - Travis Allington
- Centre for Animal Production and Health, Murdoch University, Perth, WA 6150, Australia
| | - Sarah E Blumer
- Centre for Animal Production and Health, Murdoch University, Perth, WA 6150, Australia
| | - Johan Boshoff
- Faculty of Science, Agriculture, Business and Law, University of New England, Elm Avenue, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia
| | - Bronwyn E Clarke
- Centre for Animal Production and Health, Murdoch University, Perth, WA 6150, Australia
| | - Serina N Hancock
- Centre for Animal Production and Health, Murdoch University, Perth, WA 6150, Australia
| | | | - Paul R Kenyon
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Tennent Drive, Palmerston North 4410, New Zealand
| | - Jarryd Krog
- Centre for Animal Production and Health, Murdoch University, Perth, WA 6150, Australia
| | - Lyndon J Kubeil
- Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, 89 Sydney Road, Benalla, VIC 3672, Australia
| | - Gordon Refshauge
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Cowra Agricultural Research and Advisory Station, 296 Binni Creek Road, Cowra, NSW 2794, Australia
| | - Jason P Trompf
- J.T. Agri-Source, 2A Bradley Drive, Melbourne, VIC 3082, Australia
| | - Andrew N Thompson
- Centre for Animal Production and Health, Murdoch University, Perth, WA 6150, Australia
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