Four shed-lambing operations in western Colorado were monitored during the 1984 spring lambing season to determine the causes and rates of perinatal lamb mortality. The number of lambing ewes per flock ranged from 513 to 1,712, and lambing percentages ranged from 131 to 180%. Overall perinatal lamb mortality ranged from 8.2 to 12.2%. Most lamb deaths occurred during parturition or within 24 hours after parturition. More than 85% of all lamb deaths were in lambs born to ewes having 2 or more lambs. The leading causes of lamb death were starvation, dystocia, stillbirth (unknown cause), and infectious diseases. A wheel model was used to categorize factors causing lamb deaths into 4 groups: physical, social, host, and biological, and to present data on perinatal lamb mortality in a simple visual model. In all flocks, social and biological factors resulted in most of the lamb deaths. On the basis of our findings, we suggest that interventions designed to improve ewe-lamb bonding and to reduce infectious agents and the incidence of prolonged parturition may reduce lamb mortality.

Hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate (HSCAS), an anticaking agent for mixed feed, was added to the diets of growing wethers (mean body weight, 34.0 kg) and was evaluated for its ability to diminish the clinical signs of aflatoxicosis. The experimental design consisted of 4 treatment groups of 5 wethers each, consuming concentrations of 0 g of HSCAS and 0 g of aflatoxin (AF)/kg of feed (control; group 1); 20 g of HSCAS/kg (2.0%; group 2), 2.6 mg of AF/kg (group 3); or 20 g of HSCAS (2.0%) plus 2.6 mg of AF/kg (group 4). Wethers were maintained in indoor pens, with feed and water available ad libitum for 42 days. Lambs were observed twice daily and weighed weekly, and blood samples were obtained every 2 weeks for hematologic and serum biochemical analyses and for measurement of mitogen-induced lymphocyte-stimulation index. At the termination of the study, wethers were euthanatized and necropsied. Body weight gain was diminished significantly (P less than 0.05) by consumption of 2.6 mg of AF/kg of feed, whereas body weight of lambs consuming HSCAS plus AF did not differ from that of control wethers. The AF-alone treatment increased serum aspartate transaminase and gamma-glutamyltransferase activities, prothrombin time, and cholesterol, uric acid, and triglyceride values and decreased albumin, glucose, and urea nitrogen values, and urea-to-creatine ratio. A 27% decrease in lymphocyte stimulation index, increased spleen weight (as a percentage of body weight), and decreased liver weight were induced by AF-alone treatment. Results indicate that HSCAS may be a high-affinity sorbent for AF, that 2.6 mg of AF/kg of feed induces signs of aflatoxicosis in growing wethers, that lambs may not be as resistant to the effects of AF as previously thought, that 2.0% HSCAS can substantially reduce the toxic effects of 2.6 mg of AF/kg, and that sorbent compounds may offer a novel approach to the preventive management of aflatoxicosis in livestock.

We compared the ability of 2 alpha2-adrenergic receptor antagonists, atipamezole and yohimbine, to reverse medetomidine-induced CNS depression and cardiorespiratory changes in lambs. Twenty lambs (7.8 +/- 2.6 kg) were randomly allotted to 4 treatment groups (n = 5). Each lamb was given medetomidine (30 micrograms/kg of body weight, IV), followed in 15 minutes by IV administration of atipamezole (30 or 60 micrograms/kg), yohimbine (1 mg/kg), or 0.9% NaCl (saline) solution. Medetomidine caused lateral recumbency in 1 to 2 minutes in all treated lambs. Medetomidine significantly (P < 0.05) decreased heart rate at 5 and 10 minutes after its administration. Heart rate remained above 120 beats/min, and severe bradycardia (< 70 beats/min) and other arrhythmias did not occur throughout the study. Medetomidine also induced tachypnea in all treated lambs. The tachypnea was abolished by atipamezole and yohimbine, but not by saline solution administration. The medetomidine-induced tachypnea did not significantly affect arterial pH and PaCO2. Arterial oxygen tension was within acceptable range (PaO2 = 71 to 62 mm of Hg), but was lower than expected. Administration of atipamezole, yohimbine, or saline solution did not change PaO2 significantly. Lambs treated with 30 or 60 micrograms of atipamezole/kg were able to walk unassisted in 2.4 +/- 0.4 and 2.3 +/- 0.7 minutes, respectively, whereas yohimbine-and saline-treated lambs did not walk unassisted until 15.6 +/- 2.7 and 73.0 +/- 6.8 minutes later, respectively. Results of this study indicated that medetomidine is a potent CNS depressant in lambs. Atipamezole at dosage of 30 or 60 micrograms/kg was equally effective, and was more effective in antagonizing medetomidine-induced CNS depression than was yohimbine.

A serologic survey was conducted to determine the prevalence and seroconversion rates for ovine adenovirus (OAV) serotypes 1-4 and bovine adenovirus (BAV) serotypes 2, 3, and 7 in sheep in Iowa and in surrounding states. For 2 consecutive years, paired serum samples were obtained from 1- to 2-month-old lambs as they entered a ram test station and, again, 2 months later. Sera were tested for adenovirus antibodies by use of a microtitration serum virus-neutralization test. At the time of entry, high prevalence of antibody (titer greater than or equal to 2) was detected to all tested adenoviruses except BAV-3. All adenoviruses were active in the ram test station both years, as indicated by greater than or equal to fourfold increase in adenovirus antibody titer (seroconversion) in some of the lambs. The prevalence and seroconversion rate for OAV-1 was 94.0 and 7.2%, respectively; for OAV-2, 98.6 and 15.1%; for OAV-3, 86.5 and 11.0%; for OAV-4, 98.4 and 13.2%; for BAV-2, 97.6 and 22.4%; for BAV-3, 11.4 and 3.8%; and for BAV-7, 81.6 and 4.5%. The results indicate that adenovirus infections were widespread in the sheep population and that the prevalence of active infection based on seroconversion rates was approximately 45%.

A study was undertaken to understand the variations in physiological parameters \{Rectal Temperature (RT), Respiration Rate (RR) and Heart Rate (HR)\} in eight lambs (Patanwadi and Marwari)and six kids (Surti). The parameters were recorded on day 0 (day of birth) and days 3, 10 and 30 of age.Rectal Temperature (ºF) was found to be significantly low in both lambs (102.41) and kids (101.97) at birth as compared to the values recorded at later stages. On day 3 of age, the rectal temperature values were significantly higher in lambs than in kids, but at par on other stages. Respiration rate (no./min) and heart rate were significantly high on the day of birth and day 3 of age in both lambs and kids and dropped significantly with advancing age. Heart rate in kids (295.67) was significantly higher than in lambs (255) on day of birth,only.

In the conditions of the Republic of Belarus there was studied the nonspecific resistance of lambs of Latvian Black Face breed during the colostrum and milk fed period of their growth development. In course of the experiment there were used 10 newborn lambs. Analysis of resistance was realized in accordance with a scheme: before colostral milk sucking; in 6, 12, 24 hours; in 3, 7, 14, 21 days; in 1, 2 and 3 months after birth. In lambs during the colostrum and milk fed period of growth there were marked two critical periods, which were characterized by low indicators of resistance: before colostral milk uptake and at 7-21 day-old age. Increasing of leukocytes, bactericidal, lysozymic activity of blood serum, phagocytal activity of leukocytes, crude protein and antibodies in the first days of lamb life took place due to their entrance in blood with colostral milk, just because at this time the intestines wall possessed ability to transit in native condition the antibodies, enzymes, and leukocytes. At 7-21 day-old age in connection with reduction of these factors quantity of in colostral milk, and also due to reduction of intestines capacity, their was stated that their entrance in blood of newborn lambs decreased, but at 3 month old age of lambs there were stated to form internal protective factors of resistance because of which their quantity in blood started to increase.