THE EFFECTS OF FREQUENCY OF FEEDING OF SUPPLEMENTARY CONCENTRATES ON PERFORMANCE AND METABOLITE AND IGF-1 STATUS OF EWES GIVEN SILAGE IN LATE PREGNANCY

Ewes on grass silage-based diets were offered, during the last 6 weeks of pregnancy, art increasing allowance of a barley-soya-fish meal con centrate (400 g/day in weeks 15/16; 600 g/day in weeks 17/18; 800 g/da y in weeks 19/20) as either one, two or three feeds daily or as a comp lete mix with silage. Silage dry-matter intake increased with concentr ate feeding frequency (P < 0.01) and plas greatest with the mixed diet at an average of 1.38 of that with a single daily concentrate meal. T he effect on silage intake was evident even at the lowest level of con centrate supplementation during weeks 15/16 and was independent of sil age quality. Ewes gained move live weight (P < 0.01), and maintained a higher live weight post partum, as a result of increasing the frequen cy of feeding of concentrates but mean lamb birth weight was unaffecte d. Maternal serum metabolites were measured in weeks 17/18 and 19/20 o nly. Mean beta-hydroxybutyrate tons higher, but not significantly so, in weeks 19/20 despite the increased concentrate allowance and pins hi gher overall (P < 0.05) in ewes offered concentrates once daily compar ed with those receiving concentrates three times daily or mixed with t he silage. Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) was higher in serum of ewes given frequent concentrate meals compared with those offered con centrate once daily (P < 0.05). Serum albumin and globulin increased a s concentrate intake increased between weeks 17/18 and 19/20 (P < 0.05 ) and also, when concentrates were offered move than once daily (P < 0 .05). Serum urea level was higher with more frequent concentrate meals (P < 0.01) and was affected by silage quality (P < 0.001).