Effect of feedlotting on nutrient intake and growth performance of sheep raised under temperate climatic conditions

Abstract

The objective of present study was to explore the effect of feedlotting on growth parameters of crossbred lambs in temperate climate. The term “feedlotting” is basically a management practice in which frequent efforts are made by lamb producers to accomplish an unfailing supply of lamb that encounters weight and fat score as per market specifications A total of 10 crossbred lambs (around one year of age) were randomly divided in two equal groups viz. Control (CON) and treatment (FL) with 5 replicates in each group. In CON group the experimental lambs were fed by thumb rule method and FL group was fed under feedlot. To estimate the growth parameters fortnightly, a growth trial of 74 days (including 14 days adaptation) was conducted. At the end of experiment a metabolic trail of 7-days was conducted. The study indicated non-significant difference in terms of DMI, OMI, gain in body weight, ADG, FCR, digestibility coefficients of different nutrients, intake of nutrients (DDMI and TDNI), except DCPI (g/d) which differ significantly showing better results in FL group. Thus, it can be concluded from the present experiment that feedlotting had no contrary influence on the performance of crossbred lambs and can be successfully reared in feedlots under temperate climatic conditions.