COMPARISON BETWEEN RATIONS OF DIFFERENT PROTEIN: ENERGY RATIO FOR LAMBS WEANED AT THREE OR AT FIFTEEN DAYS OF AGE

Abstract

Sixty-four lambs, 32 weaned at 3 to 5 days of age and 32 at 15 days of age, were fed milk substitutes up to a liveweight of 25 kg. Half of each group received a ration with a protein:calorie ratio of 38.9 (ration A) and the other half a ration with a ratio of 34.5 (ration B). The gross energy of ration A was 4.7 kcal/g and that of ration B, 5.3 kcal/g. Average daily gain to 8 weeks of age was 238 and 253 g for the lambs fed rations A and B, respectively. Feed consumption was slightly higher for the lambs fed ration A. Dressing-out percentage was 52 for the lambs fed ration A and 56 for those fed ration B. The lambs weaned at 15 days had higher dressing-out percentages (P < 0.05). The percentage of carcasses which graded A was 33% for ration B and only 15% for ration A.