Unsung heroes under the soil
Much of the scientific work being carried out at the Massey University led regenerative agriculture project, Whenua Haumanu, is below the ground.
The research explored whether offering dietary diversity to ewes in the final trimester of pregnancy would reduce oxidative stress for both the mother and offspring.
The research indicated a reduction in stress, with ewes who ate functionally diverse diets also birthed heavier lambs that had lower cortisol levels.
The project is reportedly the first to detect maternal and foetal stress by examining the cortisol concentration and antioxidant levels of lamb’s wool in utero.
These findings suggest moving away from a typical monotonous ryegrass menu for lambing ewes and instead peppering their diet with foods like chicory, plantain, red clover and lucerne, as well as other plants.
According to Livestock Production Professor Pablo Gregorini, whose former PhD student Konagh Garrett conducted the study, the hormonal and metabolic changes of pregnancy can increase nutritional demands and strain. Certain diets then exacerbate the issue, especially as animals transition from non-lactating to lactating.
“Maternal nutrition in late gestation also influences lamb birth weight and the stress experienced by lambs in utero,” Gregorini says.
“Our findings have significant implications, as farmers can enhance animal wellbeing using simple dietary measures and adding further value to New Zealand pasture-based animal products, because animals would be ‘happy’ from the get-go.
“It’s clear that feeding lambing ewes a wider variety of foods will enhance both animal welfare and production.”
