scholarly journals LAMB GROWTH ON "LONG" AND "SHORT" GRAZED PASTURES OF RYEGRASS OR TIMOTHY/COCKSFOOT

Author(s):  
K.H.C. Lewis ◽  
N.A. Cullen

Lamb growth rates were measured on "long" (> 5 cm) and "short" (< 5 cm) ryegrass and timothy/cocksfoot pastures sown with clovers. Both before and after weaning in December, the growth rates of lambs were similar on "short" pastures but lower on "long" ryegrass pastures than on "long" timothy/cocksfoot pastures. Before weaning, gains on "short" ryegrass pastures were higher than those on "long" but with timothy!cocksfoot the position was reversed. After weaning, "short" pastures of both types produced higher gains than "long" pastures. The main factor affecting lamb growth rate appeared to be the deterioration of leniently grazed swalrds in late summer and autumn.

1999 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 19-26
Author(s):  
R.H. Watson ◽  
R.G. Keogh ◽  
M.F. Mcdonald

Two groups (n=39) of Romney breeding ewes were maintained under the same grazing management on either endophyte-infected (E+) or endophytefree (E-) perennial ryegrass pasture for two years (1997-1998) following a one-year equilibration period. The ewes were naturally mated in March each year and ovulation rate at 1st mating was measured, and conception and the number of lambs born and weaned were recorded. All ewes were weighed monthly and lamb growth rates were determined between birth and weaning. Mean mating date was delayed by 1.8 days (P


1974 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 293-299 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Lawlor ◽  
A. Louca ◽  
A. Mavrogenis

SUMMARYNinety-nine ewes, 33 from each of the Cyprus fat-tailed, Chios and Awassi breeds, were used to compare the effects of three suckling regimes on lactation. These consisted of weaning the lambs at birth (W0), 2 days (W2) and 35 days (W35). The 35-day, 150-day and total milk yields, as well as lactation length, were measured for each group. The lambs weaned from the ewes at birth and 2 days were reared on ewe-milk replacer. The growth rate of these lambs was compared with that of the lambs being suckled by their dams, before and after weaning.In all cases the milk yields of the Chios and Awassi breeds of sheep were significantly higher (P<0·01) than those of the Cyprus fat-tailed. Within each breed the 35-day milk yields of the ewes suckling one lamb were significantly higher (P<0·01) than those of the ewes on the W0 or W2 treatments, which themselves did not differ significantly. While the 150-day milk yields of the W35 treatment were significantly higher than those of the W0 or W2 treatments, the differences between suckling regimes in terms of total milk yield and lactation length were not significant. It is concluded that differences in milk yield obtained on different suckling regimes are attributable solely to the length of time that the lambs are suckled by their dams.Prior to weaning the growth rate of the lambs given the ewe-milk replacer was significantly lower than that of the lambs suckled by their dams. There were no differences in the growth rates of these groups of lambs when both were fattened on a creep feed after weaning.


2002 ◽  
Vol 139 (2) ◽  
pp. 169-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. E. R. DAWSON ◽  
A. F. CARSON

A study was carried out on five lowland farms in Northern Ireland over 3 years to investigate the effect of crossbred ewe and ram genotype on ewe prolificacy, lamb viability and weaned lamb output. Four crossbred ewe genotypes were sourced from six hill farms involved in a previous study – Bluefaced Leicester×Blackface (BLXB), Texel×Blackface (TXB), Suffolk×Cheviot (SXCH) and Texel×Cheviot (TXCH). On each farm, groups of 20–30 of each crossbred ewe genotype were mated with Suffolk or Texel rams. Throughout the 3 years of the study, the ewe genotypes lambed at 1, 2 and 3 years of age. Within each of the ram breeds, high lean growth index rams sourced from UK sire reference schemes were compared with rams sourced from flocks not involved in objective genetic improvement programmes (control). BLXB ewes were the most prolific of the four ewe genotypes producing 1.73 lambs per ewe lambed compared with 1.47 for TXB, 1.46 for SXCH and 1.41 for TXCH (P<0.001). Lamb mortality was similar for the four ewe genotypes, thus number of lambs weaned was greatest for the BLXB ewes (P<0.001) with the other three crosses producing similar numbers of lambs. A greater proportion (P<0.05) of SXCH ewes lambed without assistance compared with BLXB and TXB ewes and a greater proportion of TXCH ewes had abundant supplies of colostrum compared with the other crosses (P<0.10). Output of weaned lamb per ewe lambed and per ewe metabolic live weight (P<0.001) was greatest in the BLXB ewes. Ewe productivity, prolificacy, number of lambs weaned and the proportion of ewes lambing without assistance increased with ewe age (P<0.001). Lamb growth rate from birth to 6 weeks and from birth to weaning increased with ewe age (P<0.05). Crossbred ewes lambing at 3 years old had a greater output of weaned lamb compared with ewes lambing at 1 and 2 years old (P<0.001). Ram genotype had no effect on ewe prolificacy, lamb viability or pre-weaning growth rates, although Texel-sired lambs had lower birth weights than Suffolk-sired lambs and control-sired lambs had lower birth weights than high lean index-sired lambs (P<0.05).


1976 ◽  
Vol 16 (81) ◽  
pp. 452
Author(s):  
MF Sharkey ◽  
RW Hodge ◽  
IF Davis ◽  
B Bogdanovic

Hay and silage treated with formaldehyde were compared with untreated hay and silage during in vivo studies of digestibility, and in growth studies where the forages were fed with and without barley to 6-month-old crossbred lambs. In the growth study there were 20 treatment groups (four forage types offered ad libitum x five barley levels 0, 100, 300, 500 and ad libitum g day-1). Sheep were fed for 6 and 12 weeks for groups fed silage and hay respectively following which animals were slaughtered. On a digested basis, barley contributed from 0 to 76 per cent of digested energy intake. Lamb growth rate varied between 0 and 150 g day-1 and was linearly related to intake of digested DM. Growth rates were above 100 g day-1 where barley constituted 60 to 70 per cent of this intake. Silage and hay with digestibilities of 62 to 65 per cent barely maintained sheep liveweights when fed as a sole diet. The sheep ate more hay than silage and treating the forage with formaldehyde did not significantly increase intake or growth rate.


2018 ◽  
pp. 107-112
Author(s):  
Lydia M Cranston ◽  
Peter D Kemp ◽  
Steve T Morris ◽  
Brennon A Wood

An on-farm study investigated the herbage quality and sward characteristics of plantain-clover mixes and resulting lamb growth rates during late summer and autumn. Three farms were chosen, each with a minimum of 10 ha of plantain-clover mix (Plantago lanceolata ‘Ceres Tonic’, Trifolium pratense, Trifolium repens) used for lamb finishing. Each farm managed the plantain-clover mix area using their routine management without advice or comment from research staff. Throughout autumn, at approximately monthly intervals on the three farms, the pre- and post-grazing herbage masses, botanical composition, herbage quality, plantain dry matter content, secondary chemical composition and lamb growth rates were monitored. A low percentage of clover in the sward, a high percentage of dead stem material and a low crude protein concentration in plantain during dry periods, were identified as the most likely causes of low lamb liveweight gains during autumn. Grazing management during spring that maintains control of plantain stems and encourages the presence of clover, appears to be a key management technique for ensuring high lamb liveweight gains on plantain-clover mixes in late summer and autumn.


2013 ◽  
Vol 40 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 204
Author(s):  
Rajan Sarma ◽  
Labananda Choudhury

In India, due to the lack of age-specific death and birth data, direct calculation of Net Reproduction Rate is not possible, particularly at the district level. Also, conventional Net Reproduction Rate and intrinsic growth rate measures are not suitable for populations affected by migration. The present study attempts to recapture the scenario of migration in the districts of two diverged states of India—Kerala and Assam—by estimating the Net Reproduction Rates before and after allowance for migration. The study also attempts to assess the speed of population growth of these districts from the intrinsic growth rates in the presence of migration.


Author(s):  
T.J. Fraser ◽  
D.J. Saville

The effect of weaning weight on the subsequent growth rate of lambs was estimated from data collected at Winchmore Research Station. The lamb weight data were collected over a 3-year period involving dryland and irrigated farmlets with two contrasting forage systems. Lambs were weighed at 2-weekly intervals with the weights for the periods immediately pre- and post-weaning being used for the comparisons in this study. Results overall indicated that, following adjustments for pasture type, gender, birth and rearing rank, heavier lambs at weaning had faster growth rates post-weaning than lighter lambs. However, lighter lambs suffered a lower drop in growth rate (defined as growth rate before weaning minus growth rate post-weaning) than heavier lambs. This was universal across both pasture types, both genders and all combinations of birth and rearing ranks. Possible explanations are that the lighter lambs at weaning were receiving less milk from their mothers or that they were under some mob pressure and had limited access to quality pastures. In some cases, the lighter lambs even increased their growth rates post-weaning when compared to pre-weaning. It is suggested that weaning light lambs is an option for farmers, particularly when feed supply is limiting or when dry stock are required to clean up poor quality pastures and set up high quality feed for young stock. Keywords: dryland, irrigated, lamb growth, lamb weaning, pasture quality, weaning weights


1999 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 567-575 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. D. Johnston ◽  
R. W. J. Steen ◽  
D. J. Kilpatrick ◽  
D. E. Lowe ◽  
D. M. B. Chestnutt

AbstractA comparison was made over 2 years of sires of Suffolk and Dutch Texel breeds and ewes of Greyface (Border Leicester × Scottish Blackface), Suffolk Cheviot and Dutch Texel breeds in terms of food intake, prolificacy and lamb growth rates under a grass-based system of production. Suffolk Cheviot ewes consumed significantly more silage dry matter than the Greyface ewes in both years of the study. There was no overall difference between Greyface and Suffolk Cheviot ewes in terms of prolificacy. However lambs from Suffolk Cheviot ewes had a higher growth rate than lambs from Greyface ewes from birth to weaning in year 1 (P < 0·01). In the comparison of the three ewe breeds sired by Dutch Texel rams in year 2, Dutch Texel ewes produced a similar number of lambs to the other genotypes but had a higher incidence of difficult lambings, higher lamb mortality and consequently a lower number of lambs weaned. Purebred Dutch Texel male lambs had lower growth rates than crossbred Dutch Texel lambs (143 compared with 158 glday for lambs from Greyface ewes and 166 (s.e. 13.4) glday for lambs from Suffolk Cheviot ewes in year 1 and 183 compared with 251 and 248 respectively (s.e. 10.9) glday in year 2). Lambs sired by Suffolk rams had higher growth rates than those sired by Dutch Texel rams (252 compared with 224 (s.e. 5.4) glday) in year 2.


1996 ◽  
Vol 36 (7) ◽  
pp. 777
Author(s):  
PJ Holst ◽  
DG Hall ◽  
DF Stanley

The effects of mature barley grass (Hordeum spp.) pasture on lamb growth rates, carcass180 crossbred lambs finished on summer pastures. The effect of shearing at weaning, using 2 types of combs (traditional or cover) was compared with a 'no shearing' treatment.Exposure to barley grass pasture over November and December produced growth rates of 82 � 5 g/day for lambs slaughtered in January compared with growth rates of 141 � 5 g/day on lucerne pasture over the same period. On the barley grass pasture, shearing gave an immediate and sustained advantage (P<0.05) in growth rate but no difference between cover or traditional comb. Carcass weights were 21.4 � 0.3 and 19.0 � 0.4 kg for lambs grazing lucerne pasture and barley grass pasture, respectively. Shearing reduced pelt damage from barley grass seed to the extent that 85% of unshorn pelts had >5 scars per pelt compared with 13% in pelts from shorn lambs. Type of shearing comb did not influence the result. The results suggest that maturing barley grass pastures must be avoided if adequate growth rates are to be achieved in weaner lambs.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Lynaire Jane Abbott

<p>The endemic brown alga Lessonia variegata has recently been shown to be four separate lineages. To determine differences between the four morphologically similar lineages, the economically valuable polysaccharides alginate and fucoidan were extracted and yields from each of the lineages were compared. In order to determine seasonal patterns in the yield of alginate and fucoidan, and the growth rate within L.variegata, polysaccharides were extracted and the growth rate measured on a monthly basis from March 2010 until February 2011 on plants from the Wellington lineage. The alginate and fucoidan yields were obtained via stepwise extraction with dilute acid and sodium carbonate as per the previously published methods of Usov et al. (1985). The growth rate of L. variegata from the Wellington lineage was assayed using the hole punch technique first described by Parke (1948). The yield of alginate within the Wellington lineage of L. variegata fluctuated seasonally with the highest percent occurring in spring and summer 2010. The yield of fucoidan in the Wellington lineage was at its highest in mid-autumn and late spring 2010. Two different growth rates were detected for the Wellington lineage of L. variegata. There was a period of significantly high growth from late winter 2010 until late summer 2011.The Wellington lineage had the lowest yield of alginate and the highest yield of fucoidan compared to the Northern lineage, the Kaikoura lineage and the Southern lineage. Based on the findings of this study, an appropriate harvest period for the Wellington lineage of L. variegata would be in early to mid-summer when polysaccharide yields and growth rates are high and the alga is vegetative.</p>


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