Hostname: page-component-7dd5485656-g8tfn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-10-31T16:25:42.760Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The effect of sustained lactation on intake of solid food and growth rate of lambs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

J. M. Doney  and
J. N. Peart
J. M. Doney
Affiliation:
Hill Farming Research Organization, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian.
J. N. Peart
Affiliation:
Hill Farming Research Organization, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

An experiment was designed to investigate the effect of a sustained lactation pattern on the intake of milk or solid food by lambs and on their consequent growth rate. Normal lactation pattern was compared with sustained lactation, achieved by fostering lambs at 24 days of age on to newly-lambed nurse ewes. Two genotypes of lamb were used; these were pure-bred Scottish Blackface and Textel × Blackface. Lambs were offered one of two qualities of pelleted concentrate food from 4 weeks of age.

Maximum daily intakes of milk were 2·16 and 1·87 kg/day, respectively, for fostered and non-fostered lambs. This differential was maintained until the 10th week. Pattern of lactation had no significant effect on total energy intake from milk and solid food combined or on live-weight gain up to 10 weeks of age. Texel cross lambs consumed more food than did pure Blackface lambs and showed correspondingly higher rates of live-weight gain. Lambs ate slightly more of the higher quality pellets than the lower but there was no effect of solid food quality on milk intake. Within breed of lamb there was a negative relationship between intake of milk and of solid food.

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 87 , Issue 3 , December 1976 , pp. 511 - 518
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1976

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.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Eeferences

Armstrong, R. H. & Eadie, J. (1973). Some aspects of the growth of hill lambs. Report of the Hill Farming Research Organization 6, 57–68.Google Scholar
Bosc, M. J. (1972). The induction and synchronisation of lambing with the aid of dexamethasone. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 28, 347–57.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Boyazoglu, J. G. (1963). Aspects quantitatifs de la production laitière des brebis. Annales de Zootechnie 12, 237–96.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eadie, J. (1971). Hill pastoral resources and sheep production. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 30, 204–10.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hadjipieris, G., Jones, J. G. W., Wimble, R. H. & Holmes, W. (1966). Studies on feed intake and feed utilisation by sheep. II. Utilisation of feed by ewes. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 66, 341–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hodge, R. W. (1966). The relative pasture intake of grazing lambs at two levels of milk intake. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture and Animal Husbandry 6, 314–16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hodgson, J. (1971). The development of solid food intake in calves. I. The effect of previous experience of solid food and the physical form of the diet, on the development of food intake after weaning. Animal Production 13, 15–24.Google Scholar
Horák, F. & Jakubec, V. (1964). (Studies of milk production of sheep during the consolidation period of crossbreeding between Valashka and Texel breeds in the years 1956–1960.) Sborník Vysíkě Školy Zemědělské v Brně 1964 (3), 521–9. (Czech, Summaries in Russian and German.)Google Scholar
Jagusch, K. T. & Mitchell, R. M. (1971). Utilisation of the metabolisable energy of ewe's milk by the lamb. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 14, 434–41.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Joyce, J. P. & Rattray, P. V. (1970). The intake and utilisation of milk and grass by lambs. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society for Animal Production 30, 94–105.Google Scholar
Kováč, V. & Gajdošík, M. (1964). (Contributions to the study of the influence of a shortened suckling period of lambs on their development.) Sbornik Vysokej Školy Pol'nohospodάrskej v Nitre 1964 (8), 19–25. (Slovak, summaries in Russian and English.)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. Animal Production 14, 317–22.Google Scholar
Louca, A. (1972). The effect of suckling regime on growth rate and lactation performance of the Cyprus Fat-tailed and Chios sheep. Animal Production 15, 53–9.Google Scholar
Moore, R. W. (1966). Genetic factors affecting the milk intake of lambs. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 17, 191–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Owen, J. B., Davies, D. A. R. & Ridgman, W. J. (1969). The control of voluntary intake in ruminants. Animal Production 11, 511–20.Google Scholar
Peart, J. N. (1970 a). Factors influencing lactation of hill ewes. Report of the Hill Farming Research Organisation 5, 45–69.Google Scholar
Peart, J. N. (1970 b). The influence of live weight and body condition on the subsequent milk production of Blackface ewes following a period of under nourishment in early lactation. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 75, 459–69.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peart, J. N., Doney, J. M. & MacDonald, A. J. (1975). The influence of lamb genotype on the milk production of Blackface ewes. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 84, 313–16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Penning, P. D., Cottrell, K. M. & Treacher, T. T. (1973). The effects of quantity and distribution of milk substitute on the performance of artificially reared lambs to forty-eight days of age. Animal Production 17, 179–86.Google Scholar