Fernando Roca Fraga
Doctor of Philosophy
Study Completed: 2017
College of Sciences
Citation
Thesis Title
Optimal nutrition of the pregnant ewe. A meta-analytic approach
Read article at Massey Research Online: 
No single experiment can provide a complete and definitive understanding of the optimum nutrition of the pregnant ewe, so there is value in combining the available literature into quantifiable outcomes that can generate usable information for extension programs. Mr Roca Fraga combined research evidence from the past 100 years using systematic review and meta-analytic tools to investigate the impact of variable levels of ewe nutrition during pregnancy on fetal and lamb growth. His findings indicated that farmers can make use of the differences in nutrient requirements between singleton- and twin-bearing ewes to best manage pasture allocation. Management decision should then be targeted to meet the nutritional requirements for pregnancy in the last six weeks before lambing. However, increasing ewe intake beyond that required to meet pregnancy requirements is unjustified as a management tool to increase lamb and ewe performance, if nutrition during lactation is non-limiting.
Supervisors
Professor Paul Kenyon
Professor Hugh Blair
Professor Nicolas Lopez-Villalobos