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Influence of Pasture Quality and Grain Supplementation on Summer Lamb Gains¹

Georgia Mountain Experiment Station, Blairsville

Abstract

The performance of 144 Hampshire and Hampshire x Dorset late-born lambs over a 3-year period was obtained during the summer on regimens of orchardgrass pasture, orchardgrass plus cracked yellow corn, and a mixed ration in dry lot.

Performance of lambs grazing pasture alone was inferior to lambs grazing similar pasture plus corn, or to that of those in dry lot. The pasture plus corn ration produced lambs equal in carcass yield and carcass quality to those on dry-lot rations; however, lambs in dry lot grew at a significantly faster rate.

The decline in TDN of orchardgrass pasture accounted for 61% of the variation in decline of ADG of lambs on pasture alone and 40% of the variation in decline of ADG of lambs on similar pasture receiving corn.

The decline in digestible protein of pasture was positively correlated with ADG of lambs on pasture alone and with ADG of lambs on similar pasture plus corn.

This work indicates that with adequate supplemental feed lambs can be finished to a satisfactory grade and weight during the summer months.

¹ Journal Series Paper No. 450, Georgia Experiment Station, Experiment, Ga.

² The author acknowledges the assistance of Jacob W. White, Extension Animal Husbandman, Georgia Extension Service, for grading the lambs in this study.