Table 2.
Morphometric measurements and metabolic status of lambs, stratified by sex.
| Characteristic | Males (n = 255) | Females (n = 291) |
|---|---|---|
| Morphometric Characteristics | ||
| Birth body weight, kg | 4.14 ± 0.95 a | 3.79 ± 0.86 b |
| Body weight, 17 days *, kg | 8.12 ± 2.24 | 7.84 ± 2.02 |
| Average daily weight gain, kg | 0.238 ± 0.08 | 0.227 ± 0.06 |
| Birth trunk length, cm | 29.41 ± 2.37 e | 29.01 ± 2.44 f |
| Trunk length 17 days *, cm | 37.46 ± 4.17 | 37.49 ± 3.86 |
| Birth BMI-1, kg/m2 | 47.27 ± 6.33 a | 44.55 ± 6.89 b |
| BMI-2, 17 days *, kg/m2 | 57.28 ± 10.84 c | 55.20 ± 9.46 d |
| Thoracic girth, 17 days *, cm | 44.38 ± 4.45 | 44.32 ± 3.95 |
| Abdominal girth, 17 days *, cm | 44.55 ± 5.08 | 43.77 ± 4.66 |
| Metabolic Indices at 17 Days | ||
| Glucose, mg/dL | 123.1 ± 26.56 e | 120.3 ± 23.54 f |
| Lactate, mg/dL | 19.5 ± 5.40 | 18.9 ± 5.58 |
| Cholesterol, mg/dL | 92.9 ± 18.98 e | 96.5 ± 20.06 f |
| Triglycerides, mg/dL | 60.4 ± 36.33 e | 54.3 ± 30.41 f |
| β-OHB, mmol/L | 0.134 ± 0.07 | 0.134 ± 0.06 |
| NEFA, mmol/L | 0.533 ± 0.17 | 0.537 ± 0.16 |
| Urea, mg/dL | 31.8 ± 8.09 | 33.1 ± 9.72 |
* Lamb age at the second measurement was 17 ± 5 days; BMI: body mass index; β-OHB: β-hydroxybutyrate; NEFA: non-esterified fatty acids. Data are mean ± S.D. Different superscripts within a row denote statistically significant differences (a ≠ b, p < 0.0001; c ≠ d, p < 0.01; e ≠ f p < 0.05).