The effect of concentration of milk substitute on the performance of artificially reared lambs

Abstract

SUMMARY1. Six Dorset Horn lambs were reared on each of four different concentrations of reconstituted full-cream dried milk powder (10, 15, 20 and 25 % dry matter). The lambs were fed to appetite four times a day for 3 weeks.2. The lambs consumed significantly more liquid milk at the two lower concentrations. Intake of waterper seincreased with increasing concentration of dry matter.3. There were no significant differences in the consumption of milk dry matter between the treatments, although there was a significant linear trend, with dry-matter intake decreasing with decreasing concentration.4. There were no significant differences between the treatments in live-weight gain from 0 to 3 weeks or from 0 to 10 weeks.5. There were no significant differences in the efficiency of feed conversion between the treatments.6. Examination of the distribution of milk intake within days showed that the proportion of milk voluntarily consumed in the first feed of the day increased with age and with concentration.7. The incidence of scouring was high, but there was no general relationship with treatment.8. Abrupt weaning was not satisfactory for the lambs which had been offered only liquid food for 3 weeks and they had to receive a low level of milk feeding for a further week while they became accustomed to solid food.

The Influence of Dietary Protein and Methionine on the Sulphur Content and Growth Rate of Wool in Milk-Fed Lambs

“…The diets are described in Table 1. The dry matter content of the various diets (c. 14%) was within the range found by Large (1965) to give equivalent liveweight gains and efficiencies of feed conversion in artificially reared lambs. The low protein milk was supplemented with a trace element mixture.…”

Nutrition and growth of gnotobiotic lambs

“…With regard to growth on a milk diet, Large (1965) and Penning (1967) reared a total of 53 early weaned conventional Dorset Horn lambs on reconstituted cows' milk fed ad libitum from birth to 3 weeks of age. The lambs reared by Large gained weight at an average of 0-29 kg/day at an average feed conversion efficiency of 1-023.…”

“…It is noteworthy that the conventional lambs reared by Large (1965) which were also given only 1 week to adapt to solid feed before milk feeding ceased, recovered from the setback within a few days and continued to grow well. These lambs were younger and lighter than the gnotobiotic lambs in group 3 at the time when milk feeding was stopped.…”

A study of sexual development in ram lambs

“…It has been observed that lambs naturally suck at least once every hour (Munro, 1955) and where milk was supplied ad libitum for AR lambs, a growth rate similar to that for NR was achieved (Large, 1965). Two reasons are thought to be of importance.…”