Red gut in lamb lucerne grazing trials at Lincoln

K.T. Jagusch, R.C. Gumbrell and D.W. Dellow

Ruakura Agricultural Research Centre, Hamilton

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Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production. 1976, 36: 190-197

Red gut is a disease of weaned lambs grazing lucerne characterized by sudden death. Affected animals show intense reddening of the intestines in the region drained by the anterior mesenteric vein and in many cases the intestines are displaced. Healthy lambs grazing lucerne often have displaced intestines. Red gut and visceral displacement do not occur when lambs graze ryegrass pastures.

Epidemiology data from lamb grazing trials showed that early and late weaned animals, lambs vaccinated against clostridial diseases, lambs supplemented with lucerne hay, and whether lambs grazed stands sprayed with paraquat or not were susceptible to red gut. The incidence of the disease was reduced when lambs grazed very weedy stands, when lambs were supplemented with good quality meadow hay, and when lambs were suckled.

Experiments using caecal cannulated and slaughtered lambs showed that the volatile fatty acid content of digesta from the caecum-proximal colon was markedly higher in lucerne-fed lambs compared with those given ryegrass pastures, indicating increased large intestinal fermentation. Such fermentation may predipose lambs to the disease red gut.

Keywords: NZSAPAB;

Last Updated 24-08-2000