FEEDING MANAGEMENT AND THE PERFORMANCE OF SHEEP IN SOUTHERN SINAI: 3. THE LAMBS PRE- AND POST-WEANING. | ||
| Journal of Animal and Poultry Production | ||
| Article 15, Volume 30, Issue 12, December 2005, Pages 7477-7494 PDF (4.54 M) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/jappmu.2005.238456 | ||
| Authors | ||
| M. F.A. Farid,; H. S. Khamis; E. Y.A. Eid; Ahlam R. Abdou; A. Helal | ||
| Animal Nutrition Department, Desert Research Centre, AI-Matareya, Cairo, Egypt. | ||
| Abstract | ||
| The experiment was carried out to study pre- and post-weaning growth and fattening potential of lambs. Lambs used were from an earlier experiment to evaluate effects of feeding management on reproductive efficiency and production rates of ewes. There were four groups of ewes. The control group was fed according to NRC recommended allowances from before breeding till the weaning of offspring at the age of 16 weeks. The three experimental groups were allowed free-choice ad lib roughage intake throughout. Each of the three experimental groups was offered a different roughage: ad lib berseem hay, one-third hay plus ad lib rice straw, or ad lib rice straw with added a commercial molasses-urea mixture, Mufeed. From the end of breeding till the end of the early pregnancy stage ewes in the three experimental groups received only the basal roughage. As of the start of the late pregnancy stage and up to the end of lactation and weaning of offspring they were offered ad lib ground corn grail1s and cottonseed meal in separate feeders to allow for free-choice intake. The growth of lambs was followed for 16 weeks till weaning. For a period of 12 weeks, between weeks 9 and 20 post weaning, ewe-Iambs were fed to grow as replacements whereas ram-Iambs were fattened. The NRC recommended allowances were used. Daily intake and biweekly weights were recorded. The ewe feeding management during pregnancy and lactation had a profound effect on lamb performance. During the nursing stage and up to weaning, male and female lambs from the hay-fed ewes were superior in weights and growth rates to the controls, whereas those from the straw-fed ewes were inferior. The same was true for the growing replacement ewe-Iambs and fattening ram- lambs up to the age of 10 months. Ewe-Iambs from all groups reached a weight and age suitable for being joined to rams in intensive production systems at the age of about 10 months. However, those from the hay-fed ewes were slightly over fat to attain adult weight at that age. They weighed 44 kg at the age of 10 months. Over fattening of ewe-Iambs will negatively affect their fertility. In comparison to data cited from the literature for Barki and Ossimi sheep, results from the present investigation were exclusively superior. It is believed this was due to the better feeding management of both the dams and their offspring pre- and post-weaning. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Sheep; feeding management; growth; fattening | ||
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