ABSTRACT Fetal programming by undernourishment refers to the effects of early life subnutrition on organ development later in life. Sheep breeding in Uruguay occurs normally in autumn, with parturitions in late winter or early spring. Since pasture production and quality is lowest in winter, most pregnant sheep are subject to nutrient restriction. We hereby present four experiments which describe deleterious effects of undernourishment during gestation on reproductive organs development of the lambs.

ABSTRACT The aim of the study was to evaluate maternal energy restriction in ewes from day 48 to 106 of gestation on pre- and post-weaning lambs` performance, onset of female lambs? puberty and ovulation rate when their dams were fed ad libitum after the restriction period. Ewes bearing single or twin lambs were assigned to two dietary treatments from day 48 to day 106 of gestation:restricted (R; n = 60) at 60% of their metabolizable energy (ME) requirements, or non-restricted (NR; n = 54) at 100% of their ME requirements.

ABSTRACT The objective of the present work was to investigate the effects of two levels of crude protein (CP) provided to mature dams during late gestation on subsequent heifer’s growth postweaning and reproductive performance. At 121 d prepartum, 68 multiparous Angus cows were blocked by BW and expected calving date and randomly assigned to low protein (LP, 6% CP) or high protein (HP, 12% CP) at 12 pens per treatment. Following calving, all cow/calf pairs were housed together until weaning, then female progeny were removed and maintained on pasture as a single group.

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was determine whether the amount of protein provided to cows during late gestation would affect postnatal growth and lead to changes on glucose, insulin and insulin-like growth factor concentrations. At 121 d prepartum, 68 multiparous Angus cows were blocked by BW and expected calving date and randomly assigned to low protein level (LP, 6% CP) or high protein level (HP, 12% CP) and were allotted in 12 pens per treatment. At calving, cows were managed together on improved pastures until weaning.

ABSTRACT The effect of level of CP fed during late gestation on reproductive performance and milk production was studied in multiparous cows. Sixty-eight pregnant Angus cows were used. At 121 d prepartum, cows were blocked by BW (409 ± 57 kg) and expected calving date, randomly assigned to a low-protein (LP = 6% CP) or high-protein diet (HP = 12% CP), and allocated to 12 pens per treatment. After parturition, all cows were managed in a single group until weaning. Body weight and BCS were determined at the start of the experiment, at calving, and at weaning.

ABSTRACT The effect of level of CP fed during late gestation on reproductive performance and milk production was studied in multiparous cows. Sixty-eight pregnant Angus cows were used. At 121 d prepartum, cows were blocked by BW (409 ± 57 kg) and expected calving date, randomly assigned to a low-protein (LP = 6% CP) or high-protein diet (HP = 12% CP), and allocated to 12 pens per treatment. After parturition, all cows were managed in a single group until weaning. Body weight and BCS were determined at the start of the experiment, at calving, and at weaning.

ABTRACT First observations in which conditions of offspring at birth were linked to gestational conditions came from the Dutch Hunger. During this time, the population nderwent a period of famine in which rations were limited. The study of that period brought the idea that an adverse fetal environment, low birth weights, and adult disease were potentially correlated. This review focuses specifically on developmental programming experiments in livestock as it relates to fetal and postnatal growth and development.

Resumen:En un marco de intensificación sostenible de la ganadería nacional, Uruguay viene impulsando una estrategia de diferenciación y agregado de valor de productos y procesos desde una visión integral ?del campo al plato del consumidor?. En este contexto, existen una serie de experiencias exitosas a destacar entre los diferentes actores de la cadena cárnica del Uruguay.

Resumen: En un marco de intensificación sostenible de la ganadería nacional, Uruguay viene impulsando una estrategia de diferenciación y agregado de valor de productos y procesos desde una visión integral ?del campo al plato del consumidor?. En este contexto, existen una serie de experiencias exitosas a destacar entre los diferentes actores de la cadena cárnica del Uruguay.