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

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
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.