AUTOMATIC CONCENTRATE DISTRIBUTION FOR FATTENING OF ROMANOV × DORPER LAMBS

Abstract

The aim of this research was to study the possibility of using automatic concentrate feeding stations in fattening of lambs.
Ten Romanov × Dorper weaned male lambs (initial live weight 21.0 ± 0.86 kg) for fattening were used. Lambs were kept indoors in separate pen and research was carried out in production conditions. Concentrate was distributed for animals individually in automatic feeding station. Adaption period were not applied, eight lambs had the concentrate intake in the automatic feeding station from first research day, one started eat concentrate from third research day and one – from eleventh day of research. The frequency of visits to automatic feeding station and daily concentrate intake was recorded and analyzed. Lamb’s were weighted before research and every fourteen days, live weight changes were analyzed. During all the research average number of daily visits to automatic feeding station of one lamb were 13 visits, average daily concentrate intake per animal was: 84 % of the average ration (1642 g) in all research period. Results shows, that average daily live weight gain was 246 ± 26.3 g, during last quarter daily live weight gain (89 ± 27.7 g) was significantly (p < 0.05) lover than in other quarters. For 1 kg lamb live weight gain 5.39 kg concentrate was used.

Keywords: sheep, live weight gain, feeding, pellets

Article DOI: http://doi.org/10.15544/RD.2017.062