Effect of ewe body condition and nutrition in late pregnancy on the performance of triplet-bearing ewes and their progeny

The aim of the present study was to determine the production response of triplet-bearing ewes and their lambs to two differing feeding treatments in mid to late pregnancy and to determine the effect of ewe body condition. Ninety-two days after the start of their breeding period (P92) triplet-bearing ewes, were allocated to either a Medium (n = 72) or ad libitum ('Adlib', n = 72) feeding treatment until P113, followed by both groups being merged and offered ad libitum feeding conditions until lambing. The Medium feeding treatment was designed to ensure pre- and postgrazing herbage masses were below 1200 and 1000 kg DM/ha, respectively. Each feeding treatment included ewes from the following body condition score groups: 2.0 or less (CS <= 2.0), 2.5 (CS2.5) or 3.0 or greater (CS >= 3.0). At P113, Medium ewes were lighter (P < 0.05) and had lower (P < 0.05) body condition scores than Adlib ewes (72.4 +/- 0.80 vs 75.2 +/- 0.85 kg and 2.8 +/- 0.06 vs 3.3 +/- 0.06, respectively). However, at P141 liveweight no longer differed (P > 0.05, 86.2 +/- 0.94 vs 86.6 +/- 0.99 kg, respectively), although a small difference in condition score remained (P < 0.05, 3.0 +/- 0.07 vs 3.3 +/- 0.08, respectively). Ewe feeding treatment had no effect (P > 0.05) on lamb liveweight or survival or ewe liveweight and body condition during lactation. Ewe body condition score group had no effect (P > 0.05) on lamb birthweight. Lambs born to CS2.5 group ewes were heavier 70 days after the midpoint of lambing (L70) than those born to CS <= 2.0 group ewes (20.9 +/- 0.41 vs 19.6 +/- 0.36 kg, respectively), although they displayed lower survival to L70(56.0 vs 69.5%). Liveweight at L70 and survival of lambs born to CS >= 3.0 group ewes (20.0 +/- 0.39 kg and 61.7%) did not differ (P > 0.05) from those born to either CS <= 2.0 or CS2.5 group ewes. In conclusion, these results suggest triplet-bearing ewes can be maintained under restricted feeding conditions until at least Day 113 of pregnancy without negatively affecting ewe or lamb performance when they are subsequently offered unrestricted feeding for the remainder of pregnancy and during lactation. Under these grazing conditions the body condition of triplet-bearing ewes had little to no effect on their subsequent performance or that of their lambs.