Reproductive performance of Santa Inês ewes fed protected fat diet

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the reproductive performance of Santa Inês ewes fed a diet supplemented with protected fat. Intervals from lambing to first clinical estrus and to conception, conception rate, prolificacy, live weight and body condition were determined. After lambing, 60 ewes and their offsprings were weighted and randomly assigned to three treatments, based on age, body weight and number of born lambs. Treatments consisted of: control diet, or control diet plus 30 g of protected fat, from lambing to day 25 of post‑lambing (Sup25), or to day 60 of post‑lambing (Sup60). Out of 60 evaluated ewes, 93.3% returned to estrus, and 74.5% got pregnant, with 73.53% lambing rate and 196.5 days lambing interval. The average periods from lambing to first estrus were 32.4, 27.2 and 35.5 days for ewes fed the control diet, Sup25, and Sup60, respectively. The intervals from lambing to conception were 45.2, 46.5 and 45.2 days, and the supplemented diets did not show differences in comparison to the control diet. Supplementation with protected fat to well-nourished Santa Inês ewes does not improve their reproductive performance.