Document Detail


Risk factors for lamb mortality in Sahelian sheep on a breeding station in Ghana.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  15729897     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
A retrospective cohort study was designed to examine the effect of sex, season of birth, type and year of birth, and birth weight on lamb mortality. The method used involved analysis of breeding records for Sahelian sheep kept on a breeding station at Pong-Tamale in northern Ghana from 1994 to 2000. The pre-weaning and post-weaning mortalities were 10% (n = 505) and 19% (n = 453), respectively, while the overall mortality from birth up to 12 months of age was 28% (n = 505). Compared to the pre-weaning period, the post-weaning period recorded significantly higher proportions of deaths in male, single-born, lambs born in the rainy or dry seasons, and in lambs with low (<3 kg) or high (> or =3 kg) birth weight. The odds and risks of death for male lambs were about one and a half times those for females at post-weaning. Lambs born in the dry season had significantly higher mortality than those born in the rainy season. Lambs that died by the time of weaning were not significantly different in weight at birth from those that survived. The mean birth and weaning weights of single-born lambs were significantly higher than those for twins. The mean pre-weaning ADG was significantly higher in lambs born as singles compared to that for twins. The season of birth had influence on mean birth weight, with those born in the rainy season having significantly higher weights than those born in the dry season. The year of birth significantly affected birth weight, weaning weight, weight at 12 months and ADG at all stages of the lambs' life. The study concluded that the most significant risk factors for lamb mortality included sex of the lamb, season of birth and birth weight. The last two could be manipulated, to some extent, to reduce lamb mortality.
Authors:
P K Turkson; M Sualisu
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Tropical animal health and production     Volume:  37     ISSN:  0049-4747     ISO Abbreviation:  Trop Anim Health Prod     Publication Date:  2005 Jan 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2005-02-25     Completed Date:  2005-03-31     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  1277355     Medline TA:  Trop Anim Health Prod     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  49-64     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Animal Science Department, School of Agriculture, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana. kobbiecc@yahoo.com
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Age Factors
Animal Husbandry / methods*
Animals
Animals, Newborn
Birth Weight / physiology*
Cohort Studies
Confidence Intervals
Female
Ghana
Male
Mortality*
Odds Ratio
Retrospective Studies
Risk Factors
Seasons
Sex Factors
Sheep
Sheep Diseases / mortality*
Twins
Weaning
Weight Gain

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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