Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gbm5v Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T19:04:01.806Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The effects of environmental temperature and feeding pattern on the performance of artificially-reared lambs fed cold milk substitute

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

M. J. Gibb
Affiliation:
The Grassland Research Institute, Hurley, Berkshire
P. D. Penning
Affiliation:
The Grassland Research Institute, Hurley, Berkshire
Get access

Summary

An experiment was carried out using lambs reared from 1 day to 23 days of age on milk substitute given either ad libitum or at a restricted rate of 250 g dry matter per day, in rooms maintained at three temperatures, 7, 14 and 21°C.

Lambs fed milk substitute ad libitum showed similar growth rates (about 365 g per day) at all environmental air temperatures. Total dry-matter intake of milk substitute per lamb over 22 days was slightly higher in those kept in an environmental air temperature of 7°C. The efficiency of lambs in the 7°C environment was lower than those in the 14 and 21°C environments.

When dry-matter intake was held constant, at the restricted level, growth rate increased linearly between 237 and 265 g per day as the environmental air temperature was increased.

At each of these temperature levels the restricted-rate lambs were more efficient than the respective lambs fed ad libitum.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1972

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

Alexander, G. 1961. Temperature regulation in the new-born lamb. III. Effect of environmental temperature on metabolic rate, body temperatures, and respiratory quotient. Aust. J. agric. Res. 12: 11521174.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brisson, G. J., Bouchard, R. and Morisset-rochette, Michele. 1970. Equipment for nutritional studies with lambs weaned at 3 days of age and reared on experimental diets. J. Anim. Sci. 31: 417421.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lees, A. 1967. A study of some aspects of sheep housing. M.Sc. Thesis, Univ. of Reading.Google Scholar
Owen, J. B. 1969. The artificial rearing of lambs. Vet. Rec. 85: 372374.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Penning, Ines M., Treacher, T. T. and Penning, P. D. 1972. The effect of feeding regimes and milk substitute temperature on the performance of artificially reared lambs. Proc. Br. Soc. Anim. Prod. 1972: pp. 144145.Google Scholar
Penning, P. D. 1967. Artificial rearing of lambs. A. Rep. Grassld Res. Inst. 1966, pp. 8692.Google Scholar
Treacher, T. T. and Penning, P. D. 1971. The development of an automatic system for rearing lambs artificially. Outl. Agric. 6: 227231.CrossRefGoogle Scholar