Abstract

There has been recent interest in potential intragenerational and intergenerational effects due to pre-natal programming and the implications these may have on production animals, such as the sheep. Evidence for intergenerational effects has been apparent for a significant period of time. The available data indicate that dam nutrition, age, parity, pregnancy rank, live weight, body condition, genotype and fetal genotype, and environmental conditions can all affect fetal development with potential post natal intra-generational consequences. However it is also clear that many of the observed effects in the fetus and young animal do not translate to productive effects in the adult although some models do exist. It is often difficult to compare studies due to differences in the; timing of the manipulation being investigated, live weight and condition of the dam, nutrition of the dam after the manipulation, and management of the young animal post birth. In the future it is probable that farmers will use this information to manipulate the dam in pregnancy to affect the productive performance of future generation(s). Currently few if any models of intergenerational effects exist. Further studies are required to identify consistent intragenerational and intergenerational models which affect productive performance in the adult and that identify the mechanisms responsible for the observed effects.

PR, Kenyon

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Volume 68, Brisbane, Australia, 142-155, 2008