Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dsjbd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T06:56:34.871Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Milk and herbage intake of suckled and artificially reared lambs at pasture as influenced by lactation pattern

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

J. M. Doney ,
A. D. M. Smith ,
D. A. Sim  and
D. Zygoyannis
J. M. Doney
Affiliation:
Hill Farming Research Organisation, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian EH26 0PY
A. D. M. Smith
Affiliation:
Hill Farming Research Organisation, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian EH26 0PY
D. A. Sim
Affiliation:
Hill Farming Research Organisation, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian EH26 0PY
D. Zygoyannis
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Husbandry, Veterinary Faculty, University of Thessaloniki, Greece
Get access

Abstract

East Friesland × Blackface (EFX) ewes with sustained lactation (S) and pure Scottish Blackface (BF) ewes with normal lactation (N) were mated to Suffolk rams. Twenty pairs of twin lambs born to the EFX ewes were used in the experiment. One lamb of each pair was re-allocated as a single lamb to either an EFX or a BF ewe (ER) and the second lamb was artificially reared (AR). At pasture the AR lambs were fed four times daily at levels corresponding to the milk intake of the ER lambs, which was measured weekly. Herbage intake was measured only in wether lambs.

The intake of milk and herbage between weeks 3 and 12 was lower in the AR groups than in the corresponding ER groups but the differences were not significant.

Total metabolizable energy intake as milk in the ER-S group from weeks 3 to 12 was significantly higher than that in the ER-N group (668 v. 450 MJ). Corresponding intakes in the AR-S and AR-N groups were 613 and 416 MJ. Herbage intake over the same period was 187 and 238 MJ for ER-S and ER-N, and 137 and 219 MJ for AR-S and AR-N. Total intake from milk plus herbage was significantly higher in the S group (855 and 750 MJ, respectively, for ER and AR lambs) than in the N group (688 and 634 MJ).

There were negative correlations of herbage intake with milk intake (–0·533) and with live-weight gain (–0·094), and positive relationships between live-weight gain and milk intake (r = +0·832), and between live-weight gain and total intake (r = +0·900). Differences in milk intake resulted in significant differences in live weight at 12 weeks (respectively, 34·6 and 29·7 kg for ER-S and ER-N; 32·3 and 29·1 kg for AR-S and AR-N).

It is concluded that lambs reared artificially at pasture may be used to investigate the relationship between milk and herbage intake. It was suggested that if milk does not meet the requirements of voluntary intake or growth potential, herbage intake may be increased to fill the deficit but this does not compensate fully for a lower milk supply.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 38 , Issue 2 , April 1984 , pp. 191 - 199
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1984

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Doney, J. M. and Peart, J. N. 1976. The effect of sustained lactation on the intake of solid foods and growth rate of lambs. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 87: 511–518.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Doney, J. M., Peart, J. N. and Smith, W. F. 1981. The effect of interaction of ewe and lamb genotype on milk production of ewes and on growth of lambs to weaning. Anim. Prod. 33: 137–142.Google Scholar
Doney, J. M., Peart, J. N., Smith, W. F. and Louda, F. 1979. A consideration of the techniques for estimation of milk yield by suckled sheep and a comparison of estimates obtained by two methods in relation to the effect of breed, level of production and stage of lactation. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 92: 123–132.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Doney, J. M., Peart, J. N., Smith, W. F. and Sim, D. A. 1983. Lactation performance, herbage intake and lamb growth of Scottish Blackface and East Friesland × Scottish Blackface ewes grazing hill or improved pasture. Anim. Prod. 37: 283–292.Google Scholar
Gibb, M. J., Treacher, T. T. and Shanmugalingam, V. S. 1981. Herbage intake and performance of grazing ewes and their lambs when weaned at 6, 8, 10 or 14 weeks of age. Anim. Prod. 33: 223–232.Google Scholar
Hodgson, J. and Maxwell, T. J. 1981. Grazing research and grazing management. Bienn. Rep. Hill Fmg Res. Org. 1979–81, (ed. Gunn, R. G.), pp. 169–187.Google Scholar
Jagusch, K. T. and Mitchell, R. M. 1971. Utilisation of the metabolisable energy of ewe's milk by the lamb. N. Z. Jl agric. Res. 14: 434–441.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Joyce, J. P. and Rattray, P. V. 1970. The intake and utilization of milk and grass by lambs. Proc. N. Z. Soc. Anim. Prod. 30: 94–105.Google Scholar
Langlands, J. P. 1972. Growth and herbage consumption of grazing Merino and Border Leicester lambs reared by their mothers or fostered by ewes of the other breed. Anim. Prod. 14: 317–322.Google Scholar
Langlands, J. P. 1973. Milk and herbage intakes by grazing lambs born to Merino ewes and sired by Merino, Border Leicester, Corriedale, Dorset Horn and Southdown rams. Anim. Prod. 16: 285–291.Google Scholar
Maxwell, T. J., Doney, J. M., Milne, J. A., Peart, J. N., Russel, A. J. F., Sibbald, A. R. and MacDonald, D. 1979. The effect of rearing type and pre-partum nutrition on the intake and performance of lactating Greyface ewes at pasture. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 92: 165–174.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peart, J. N., Doney, J. M. and Smith, W. F. 1979. Lactation pattern in Scottish Blackface and East Friesland × Scottish Blackface crossbred ewes. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 92: 133–138.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peart, J. N., Edwards, R. A. and Donaldson, Elizabeth. 1972. The yield and composition of the milk of Finnish Landrace × Blackface ewes. I. Ewes and lambs maintained indoors. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 79: 303–313.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Penning, P. D. and Gibb, M. J. 1979. The effect of milk intake on the intake of cut and grazed herbage by lambs. Anim. Prod. 29: 53–67.Google Scholar
Penning, P. D., Penning Ines, M. and Treacher, T. T. 1977. The effect of temperature and method of feeding on the digestibility of two milk substitutes and on the performance of lambs. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 88: 579–589.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zygoyannis, D., Sim, D. A., Smith, A. D. M. and Doney, J. M. 1982. The behaviour of suckled and artificially reared lambs at pasture. Sci. Yb. Vet. Fac. Univ. Thessaloniki 21: 2–12.Google Scholar