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Effects of Calcium and Phosphorous Levels and Diethylstilbestrol on Urinary Calculi Incidence and Feedlot Performance of Lambs¹

South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station,^,3 Brookings

Abstract

Wether and ewe lambs fed rations varying in calcium and phosphorus content were treated with single 3-mg. implants of DES or orally administered DES at a rate of approximately 2 mg. per lamb daily to determine the effect of DES on urinary calculi incidence and feedlot performance. When wether lambs not treated with DES were fed a ration containing 0.80% phosphorus with 0.51 and 0.90% calcium, the incidence of urinary calculi was 80.0 and 62.5%, respectively. DES treatments did not increase the incidence of urinary calculi. Data obtained for DES treated wether lambs receiving rations containing 0.35% phosphorus were less conclusive. Ewes did not differ significantly from wethers in the number of cases of nonobstructive urinary calculi found at slaughter; however, obstructive urolithiasis in the ewes was nil.

Wether lambs treated with DES implants or orally administered DES made 40.2 and 29.9% more daily gains, respectively, than the nontreated lambs. When compared with nontreated ewe lambs, the ewes implanted with DES gained 19.8% more weight. However, ewe lambs did not show a weight gain response to orally administered DES. When compared with the controls, wethers treated with DES implants or DES orally, or ewes treated with DES implants required 23.2, 22.5 and 10.1% less feed per 100 lb. of gain, respectively. Orally administered DES to ewe lambs did not improve feed efficiency.

¹ Published with the approval of the Director of the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station as Publication No. 644 of the Journal Series.

² The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance of W. L. Tucker, Experiment Station Statistician, in performing the statistical analyses.

³ Departments of Station Biochemistry and Animal Science.