This experiment explored how eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation during late gestation affects the fatty acid composition of dam plasma, milk, and plasma of the offspring. Pregnant ewes were divided into three groups, each receiving a different amount of an EPA and DHA source at 0, 1%, or 2% of dry matter intake. Supplementation started 50 days before expected lambing. Plasma samples were taken from the ewes before and after giving birth, and from the lambs shortly after birth. Colostrum was collected at lambing and milk at 15 days postpartum. We found that the ewes who received EPA and DHA had these fatty acids in their plasma over time. Although the increase in plasma fatty acids was not directly associated to the fatty acids’ concentration in colostrum, the colostrum itself had greater levels of these fatty acids. Lambs born from ewes supplemented with EPA and DHA also showed increased concentration of these fatty acids in their plasma, suggesting that the maternal diet had a positive effect on the newborns’ fatty acid metabolism. Therefore, feeding EPA and DHA to ewes in late gestation can improve the nutritional quality of their milk and may support better health outcomes for their lambs right from birth.

Read the full article in the Journal of Animal Science.