@conference {79021,
	title = {Effect of the maternal environment on fetal growth at mid-gestation in sheep},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {72},
	year = {2012},
	month = {Jan},
	pages = {205-209},
	publisher = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	organization = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	address = {Christchurch},
	abstract = {Our group has previously shown that maternal size can affect embryonic development by Day 19 of gestation and lamb birth weight. This study set out to investigate the effect of the maternal uterine environment on fetal growth at mid-gestation. Pure-breed single embryos were transferred within and reciprocally between large (Suffolk: S) and small (Cheviot: C) breeds of ewes to establish four maternal environments; SinS, SinC, CinS and CinC. On Day 90 of gestation, 37 single-bearing recipient ewes (10 CinC, 7 SinC, 10 CinS and 10 SinS) were euthanased. Fetal body weight, fetal body dimensions and fetal organ weights, and placentome number and total weight were measured. Body weight was significantly (P < 0.001) smaller in Cheviot compared to Suffolk fetuses. However, Cheviot fetuses had heavier (P < 0.05) kidneys and liver than Suffolk fetuses. SinC fetuses had heavier (P < 0.05) pancreas than those from all other pregnancy groups. CinS fetuses tended to have longer (P < 0.10) fore- and hind-leg lengths than CinC fetuses. There were no differences (P > 0.05) in placental parameters between the pregnancy groups. The maternal uterine environment had no major effect on fetal weight, fetal dimensions and fetal organ mass at mid-gestation.},
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Jenkinson CMC and Sharma RK and Kenyon PR and Blair HT}
}
@conference {60931,
	title = {Maternal environment as a regulator of birth weight and body dimensions of newborn lambs},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {69},
	year = {2009},
	month = {Jun},
	pages = {10-14},
	publisher = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	organization = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	address = {Christchurch},
	abstract = {The present research study was undertaken to investigate the effect of maternal uterine environment on birth weight of lambs. Embryos were transferred within, and reciprocally between, Suffolk and Cheviot sheep to establish four groups of pregnancies: Suffolk in Suffolk (SinS; Large control), Suffolk in Cheviot (SinC; Restricted uterine environment) Cheviot in Suffolk (CinS; Luxurious uterine environment) and Cheviot in Cheviot (CinC; Small control). Birth weight and other morphological characteristics of lambs such as head width, head length, crown-rump length, heart girth, fore leg length, hind leg length and femur length were recorded within 24 h of birth. Various placental parameters were also recorded at lambing. Birth weight of SinC lambs (5.04 {\textpm} 0.20 kg) was significantly (P <0.05) lower than SinS lambs (5.93 {\textpm} 0.19 kg). All of the body dimensions were also significantly (P <0.05) reduced in SinC compared with SinS lambs. However, neither birth weight nor other morphological parameters were significantly different (P >0.05) between CinC and CinS lambs. Among placental parameters, cotyledon number was significantly (P <0.05) lower in CinS (57.48 {\textpm} 6.27) than SinS group (74.17 {\textpm} 5.88). These results indicate that a restricted maternal uterine environment affects birth weight probably via alteration to placental characteristics. },
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Sharma RK and Jenkinson CMC and Blair HT and Kenyon PR and Parkinson TJ}
}
