The output from this analysis was to produce model-based 100-day cumulative milk yields for each ewe-lactation, adjusted to a common set of fixed effects.
Therefore, due to the differences in recording durations across individual ewe-lactations, we chose to use model-based 100 day cumulative yields to describe and standardise the lactation performance of all ewes.
Ewes suckling twins have been shown to produce more milk than those suckling single lambs; their peak yield is reached during the 3rd week of lactation, compared with the 4th week for ewes with single lambs, and they show higher persistency [ 3, 5].
In a grazing trial, 12 multiparous dairy ewes in mid lactation were randomly assigned to 3 groups of 4 ewes each.
Twenty multiparous ewes in early lactation were paired and randomly allocated to 2 treatments: grass hay plus concentrate either unsupplemented (control) or supplemented with lipid-encapsulated CLA to provide 2.4 g/d of trans-10, cis-12 CLA.
Twelve multiparous ewes in early lactation were randomly allocated to 1 of 4 dietary treatments: a high MP (110% of daily MP requirement) or low MP (93% of daily MP requirement) diet unsupplemented or supplemented with a lipid-encapsulated CLA to provide 2.4 g/d of trans-10,cis-12 trans-10,cis-12 trans-10,cis-12 d eaCLAin a 4 × 4 Latin squareachsign.
The proportion of the gangrenous mastitis cases among all the clinical cases did not differ significantly between weeks of lactation, between ewes of different parities or between ewes with different number of lambs (data not shown).
The proportion of the clinical S. aureus cases among all the clinical cases did not differ significantly between weeks of lactation, between ewes of different parities or between ewes with different number of lambs (data not shown).
Similarly, [ 10] also observed a significant increase in the serum homocysteine on day 200 of lactation in the lactating ewes.
In the second experiment, 60 Lacaune dairy ewes mid-way through lactation (120 ± 12 days in milk, 0.98 ± 0.03 kg/day average milk yield) were divided into three equal-sized groups each of which was assigned to one of the three experimental diets for 4 weeks.
Secondly, genetic parameters for SCC were estimated from 5 272 first lactation Lacaune ewes recorded among 38 flocks, using an animal model.
