Abstract
This study evaluates the influence of birth weight on the passive transfer of immunity (PTI) in Kangal breed lambs, a robust and economically significant Turkish sheep breed. A cohort of 38 healthy neonatal lambs was assessed to elucidate the associations between birth weight and key indicators of PTI, including serum Optical Brix percentage, total protein (TP) concentration, and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) enzyme activity. Blood samples were collected 48–72 hours postpartum and analyzed using cost-efficient and field-applicable methods such as refractometry, automated TP quantification, and enzymatic assays.The findings demonstrated that lambs with birth weights below 4.53 kg exhibited significantly reduced serum Brix percentages (P=0.003), TP concentrations (P=0.002), and GGT activity levels (P=0.028), indicative of compromised colostral immunoglobulin absorption. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis established 4.53 kg as the critical threshold for sufficient PTI, with optimized sensitivity and specificity values across all parameters. Birth weight exhibited a moderate to strong positive correlation with TP (R=0.351) and GGT levels (R=0.471), while Brix refractometry correlated robustly with TP (R=0.880), underscoring their diagnostic concordance. This study underscores the necessity of breed-specific PTI thresholds, particularly for breeds such as the Kangal, known for their higher mean birth weights. The findings highlight the utility of serum Brix refractometry, TP, and GGT measurements as reliable, pragmatic, and cost-effective alternatives to traditional laboratory methods for PTI assessment. Ensuring timely and adequate colostrum intake in lambs below the identified threshold (<4.53 kg) is imperative for mitigating immunological deficits and enhancing neonatal survival outcomes in Kangal sheep husbandry.
Keywords
Passive transfer of immunity birth weight colostrum serum brix refractometry neonatal lamb health.
Ethical Statement
The study protocol was approved by the Animal Experiments Local Ethics Committee of Sivas Cumhuriyet University (Approval number 97; Approval date, 07/11/2017).
Supporting Institution
none
Project Number
none
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References
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Details
| Primary Language | English |
|---|---|
| Subjects | Veterinary Internal Medicine |
| Journal Section | Research Article |
| Authors | |
| Project Number | none |
| Submission Date | November 3, 2025 |
| Acceptance Date | March 28, 2026 |
| Publication Date | March 30, 2026 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.47748/tjvr.1816644 |
| IZ | https://izlik.org/JA85LS88FH |
| Published in Issue | Year 2026 Volume: 10 Issue: 1 |
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Prof. Dr. İsmail Hakkı Ekin, 1971 Yılında Siirt'te doğdu. İlk ve ortaöğrenimini Van'da tamamladı. 1989 yılında Van Teknik Lisesi Motor Bölümünü birincilikle bitirdi. 1990 yılında girdiği Van Yüzüncü Yıl Üniversitesi Veteriner Fakültesinden 1995 yılında mezun oldu. Aynı yıl kısa dönem askerlik görevini yerine getirerek, Temmuz 1996’da terhis oldu. 1997’de Van Yüzüncü Yıl Üniversitesi Veteriner Fakültesi’nde Araştırma Görevliliğine atandı. Van Yüzüncü Yıl Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Enstitüsü Veteriner Mikrobiyoloji Anabilim Dalında başladığı Yüksek Lisans öğrenimini 1998 yılında, Doktora öğrenimini ise 2004 yılında bitirerek Bilim Doktoru (PhD) unvanını aldı. Dr. Araştırma görevlisi olarak 2 yıl süreyle görev yaptıktan sonra Şubat 2006’da Dr. Öğretim Üyesi (Yrd. Doç. Dr.) kadrosuna atandı. Van Yüzüncü Yıl Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Enstitüsü Besin Hijyeni ve Teknolojisi Anabilim Dalındaki ikinci Doktora eğitimini de 2022 yılında bitirerek ikinci Bilim Doktoru (PhD) unvanını aldı. 2013 yılında Doçentlik unvanını alan Ekin, 2018 yılında Van Yüzüncü Yıl Üniversitesi Veteriner Fakültesi Mikrobiyoloji Anabilim Dalında Profesörlük kadrosuna atandı. Halen bu birimde Anabilim Dalı Başkanı olarak görevini sürdürmekte olup evli ve üç çocuk babasıdır.
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