ARTÍCULO
TITULO

RESEARCH PAPER Effect of feeding and housing systems on rumen properties and plasma metabolite stress indicators in autochthonous Spanish Ojalada sheep

José A. Miguel    
José L. Calvo    
Jesús Ciria    
Begoña Asenjo    

Resumen

To rear lambs of the Ojalada breed, fed exclusively on mothers? milk until 5 weeks, three feeding systems were compared: a) ewes kept indoors and fed chopped straw plus concentrate (IND+CH+C), total mixed ration (TMR); b) ewes kept indoors and fed whole straw in the form of large bales plus concentrate (IND+W+C), TMR; and c) free-range grazing plus concentrate (GR+C; control group). Parameters related to ruminal fermentation (pH, NH3-N concentration and proportion of volatile fatty acids (VFAs)) in 40 sheep during a production cycle were monitored. The plasma concentrations of stress-related metabolites (i.e., glucose, lactate, phosphate, creatine kinase (CK), cortisol and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs)) during a production cycle and in 10 sheep during lactation (5 weeks) were tested. The sheep fed a whole forage ration (IND+W+C and GR+C treatment group) had higher concentrations of NH3-N and total VFAs, but no differences were found in the acetate/propionate ratio in sheep in the IND+CH+C treatment group compared to the control group. When analyzing plasma metabolites, we found that during the entire production cycle, grazing sheep had higher concentrations of glucose and cortisol. The concentration of NEFAs was also higher for the GR+C treatment group when evaluated during lactation. Thus, we concluded that the ration particle size for sheep fed a TMR influences the concentration of NH3-N and VFAs in the rumen. Keeping the sheep indoors during the production cycle and during lactation did not increase the plasma levels of the evaluated stress indicators.Para producir corderos de raza Ojalada, alimentados hasta las 5 semanas únicamente con leche de la madre, se compararon tres sistemas de alimentación: a) ovejas estabuladas y alimentadas con paja molida suplementada con concentrado preparado y distribuido mecánicamente (IND+CH+C), ración integral; b) ovejas estabuladas y alimentadas con grandes pacas de paja suplementada con concentrado (IND+W+C), ración integral; y c) ovejas en pastoreo suplementadas con concentrado (GR+C), grupo control. Se controlaron algunos parámetros relacionados con la fermentación ruminal (pH, NH3-N, ácidos grasos volátiles) en 40 ovejas durante un ciclo productivo, y la concentración en plasma de algunos metabolitos relacionados con el estrés (glucosa, lactato, creatinina fosfato, cortisol y ácidos grasos no esterificados (NEFAs)) en un ciclo productivo y también en 10 ovejas durante la fase de lactación (5 semanas). Las ovejas alimentadas con una ración con forraje entero (IND+W+C y GR+C) presentaron mayor contenido en NH3-N y mayor contenido total de ácidos grasos volátiles (VFA), aunque en ningún caso se encontraron diferencias en el ratio acetato/propionato con las ovejas del tratamiento IND+CH+C. Se encontró para todo el ciclo productivo que las ovejas en pastoreo tuvieron mayor concentración de glucosa y cortisol, siendo también superior para este tratamiento la concentración de NEFAs cuando se evalúa el periodo de lactación. El tamaño de partícula en las raciones de ovejas alimentadas con una ración única y mecanizada influye en la concentración de NH3-N y VFA del rumen, aunque el mantenerlas cerradas durante un ciclo productivo y durante el periodo de lactación, no incrementó el contenido en plasma de los indicadores de estrés evaluados.

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