Metabolic evaluation of ewes kept on native pasture during autumn/winter.

The nutritional status of sheep is frequently evaluated through the body condition score (BCS). To access nutritional deficiency before a change in the BCS occurs, the metabolic profile of the herd could be done. The aim of this study was to determine the metabolic profile (levels of glucose, triacylglycerol, cholesterol, urea and albumin) of pluriparous ewes kept in native pasture during autumn/winter and its correlation with the BCS. There were used 17 Corriedale pluriparous ewes, with 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0 of BCS, being submitted to 2 blood collections with an interval of 14 days. There was a difference between collections on glucose, cholesterol, albumin and urea levels. Between different BCS there was a difference in the level of albumin. The levels of cholesterol and glucose were lower than the physiologic parameters, evidencing an energetic deficiency. With these results we can conclude that the ewes evaluated in this study were under an energetic restriction, due to a reduction on the availability of native pasture during autumn/winter.