@article {3672,
	title = {BRIEF COMMUNICATION: Maternally supplemented L-glutamine increases growth rates of twin lambs from birth},
	journal = {New Zealand Journal of Animal Science and Production},
	volume = {83},
	year = {2023},
	month = {01/2022},
	pages = {14-16},
	address = {Rotorua},
	abstract = {Abstract
Fertility is a fundamental phenotypic trait used for achieving optimal production efficiency and, no easily adoptable or
precise tools are currently available. In this study, anogenital distances (AGD; anus to clitoris - AC and anus to
fourchette - AF) were measured twice from 80 Merino ewes and 80 ewe hoggets to predict fertility. Fertility was
measured by evaluating the pregnancy scanning results. Measurements of ADG were performed by using digital
callipers and high-resolution images. Overall means of measures were greater for the AF in pregnant ewes compared
to dry ewes and no association was found for the AC distance except being shorter for hoggets with callipers. The
relationship found between one of the AGD, the AF, and pregnancy status demonstrates the potential to use this trait
as a cost-effective method for estimation of fertility that can be easily adopted by producers, particularly in hoggets.

Keywords: breeding, clitoris, imaging, pregnancy status, sheep
},
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {LJ Dunstana and ML Hebarta and FD Briena and SA McCoard and M Caetano}
}
@article {3672,
	title = {BRIEF COMMUNICATION: The Efficacy of Natural Substances to Protect Dietary Glutamine from Ruminal Degradation},
	journal = {New Zealand Journal of Animal Science and Production},
	volume = {83},
	year = {2023},
	month = {01/2023},
	pages = {17-19},
	address = {Rotorua},
	abstract = {<p>In ruminants, the rumen protection of amino acids is required to prevent microbial degradation and increase the portion of undegradable dietary protein; therefore, increasing the total concentration of amino acids absorbed in the small intestine. The conditionally essential amino acid, glutamine, is vital to an array of biological processes throughout the body. The objective of the current study was to validate and optimise the use of two natural substances (NS1 and NS2) to rumen-protect glutamine from microbial degradation. Encapsulated glutamine has been tested in triplicate using an in vitro approach. It was concluded that, both natural substances provided protection to glutamine resulting in a 33.83\% and 10.66\% decrease in ammonia release with NS1 and NS2 respectively. Keywords: amino acids, in vitro test, protein, rumen microorganisms, ruminants</p>
},
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {LP Carlyon and TR Boyce and LJ Flanagan and RC Alves and K Petrovskix and M Caetano}
}
