The research was conducted with the aim of studying the possibility of using automatic feeding stations for individual sheep (Ovis aries) feeding. The research was organized in 3 periods, in which 10-13 months old sheep-female only (1st research period), 6-10 months old sheep-female only (2nd research period) and 8-12 months old sheep-female only (3rd research period) were used. Part of the sheep did not visit the feeding station at all. Sequentially, over the research periods the percentage was 13%, 37% and 49%. Upon setting the concentrate daily ration 400 g per sheep, on the average the number of visits to the particular feeding station was 6.1 and 4.7 (sequentially in the 1st and 2nd research period). Upon increasing the concentrate ration amount up to 700 g per day, the average number of feeding station visits was 6.9 (in the 3rd research period). The number of visits to the automatic feeding station was varied (V > 10%). Over the research period live weight of the sheep increased significantly (p ≤ 0.05) for the subgroups of animals which made visits to the feeding station regularly during the entire research period. In all research periods, the average daily concentrate intake (373.5 g in the 1 st research period, 333.1 g in the 2nd research period and 581.2 g in the 3rd research period) was 93%, 83% and 83% respectively, of the maximum established feeding standard.
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.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.