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Lambs Weaned Early onto a Herb-Clover Mix Have the Potential to Grow at a Similar Rate to Unweaned Lambs on a Grass-Predominant Pasture
oleh: Lukshman Jay. Ekanayake, Rene Anne Corner-Thomas, Lydia Margaret Cranston, Paul Richard Kenyon, Stephen Todd Morris
Format: | Article |
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Diterbitkan: | MDPI AG 2020-04-01 |
Deskripsi
Liveweight gain of lambs weaned early at a minimum live weight of 14 kg, at ~50 days of age, onto a herb-clover mix was compared with lambs that remained unweaned on a grass-predominant pasture or a herb-clover mix until conventional weaning (at ~99 days of age). Over two years, twin sets of lambs that had a minimum live weight of 14 kg were randomly allocated to one of three treatments: (1) Early weaning of lambs onto a herb-clover mix (Herb<sub>EW</sub>); (2) ewes and lambs grazing a herb-clover mix until conventional weaning (Herb<sub>CW</sub>); and (3) ewes and lambs grazing a grass-predominant pasture until conventional weaning (Grass<sub>CW</sub>). Herb<sub>EW</sub> lambs had slower (<i>p</i> < 0.05) growth rates than Grass<sub>CW</sub> lambs between early weaning and conventional weaning in 2016 and were 800 g lighter (<i>p</i> < 0.05) at conventional weaning. In 2017, however, both Herb<sub>EW</sub> and Grass<sub>CW</sub> had similar (<i>p</i> > 0.05) growth rates and did not differ (<i>p</i> > 0.05) in live weight at conventional weaning. Herb<sub>CW</sub> lambs had a greater (<i>p</i> < 0.05) growth rates than both Herb<sub>EW</sub> and Grass<sub>CW</sub> lambs in both years. Lambs weaned early onto a herb-clover mix have the potential to achieve live weights similar to lambs unweaned on grass-predominant pasture. Further research, however, is required to understand conditions under which early-weaned lambs can achieve similar live weights.