Effects of Vitamin E and Selenium Injections on Reproduction and Preweaning Lamb Survival in Ewes Consuming Diets Marginally Deficient in Selenium
- 1 September 1983
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in Journal of Animal Science
- Vol. 57 (3) , 553-558
- https://doi.org/10.2527/jas1983.573553x
Abstract
Medium wool ewes were injected with vitamin E and(or) Se over a 2-yr period to evaluate the influence of these treatments on reproduction. Ewes were divided randomly into four groups, consisting of a control, plus groups receiving monthly sc injections of either 272 IU vitamin E, 4 mg Se or 272 IU vitamin E plus 4 mg Se during pregnancy. Selenium administration increased (P<.05) ewe blood Se concentrations, but had no effect (P>.10) on fertility (number of ewes lambing of ewes bred), prolificacy (number of lambs born/ewe lambing) or lamb sex ratio. Preweaning survival of lambs was increased (P<,05) by ewe treatments with either Se or vitamin E and thus, treated ewes weaned approximately 20% more lambs/ewe mated than did control ewes. Copyright © 1983. American Society of Animal Science . Copyright 1983 by American Society of Animal Science.Keywords
This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit:
- SELENIUM AND EWE INFERTILITY IN WESTERN AUSTRALIAAustralian Veterinary Journal, 1972