J. Anim Sci.
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J. Anim Sci. 1982. 55:1284-1292.
© 1982 American Society of Animal Science
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Weaning of Lambs to a Dry Diet at Ten Days of Age

W. G. Pond, C. L. Ferrell, T. G. Jenkins and L. D. Young

US Department of Agriculture1,2,3,, Clay Center, NE 68933

Abstract

Suffolk- and Columbia-sired crossbred Finnsheep newborn lambs were used in four experiments to determine the effect of weaning to a dry diet at 10 d of age on survival, body weight gain and feed consumption to 42 d of age. Lambs used were originally members of triplet or quadruplet litters standardized to two lambs. All lambs were brought to the temperature-controlled lamb nursery at 1 or 2 d of age, given 50 ml bovine colostrum by stomach tube and trained during the first day to suckle from a nursing bottle containing a synthetic liquid milk replacer. Lambs were penned individually in .3 x 1.2 m raised wooden pens with expanded metal floors. At 2 or 3 d of age, lambs that had learned to use the nursing nipples were assigned sequentially to the experimental treatments. Body weight was recorded and liquid and dry feed intake were recorded for each lamb daily. Six of 34 lambs weaned to a dry diet at 10 d died of rumen impaction in Exp. 1 and 2. Initial body weights of survivors and nonsurvivors were similar in both experiments. Body weight and daily gain at 6 wk were similar for lambs reared conventionally on liquid-milk replacer (LMR) for 4 wk and for those weaned at 10 d to a dry pig starter diet (DPS). In Exp. 3, survival appeared to be improved by providing 118 ml of water twice daily by nipple for 3 wk to lambs weaned to a dry diet at 10 d Among 16 lambs used in the experiment, 14 survived and neither of the deaths was due to rumen inpaction. In Exp. 3, only two of eight lambs weaned at 10 d to the regular dry lamb starter diet (DLS) survived; three DPS lambs and two DLS lambs died of rumen impaction. Daily weight gain and dry matter/gain from 0 to 6 wk of age were similar for LMR and DPS lambs in all four experiments. Overall survival was 85% for LMR lambs and 56% for DPS lambs (P<.05). Weaning lambs to a dry diet at 10 d may be a feasible management practice if the causes of rumen impaction that result in about 16% mortality can be identified and the syndrome prevented.

Footnotes

1 Mike Wallace and his assistants in Sheep Operations are gratefully acknowledged for animal care and feeding; Wayne Hinerman, Mike MacNeil and Associates for statistical analyses and Sherry Hansen for stenographic work.

2 Mention of a trade name, proprietary product or specific equipment does not constitute a guarantee and(or) endorsement by the USDA and does not imply its approval to the exclusion of other similar products that may be suitable.

3 Roman L. Hruska, U.S. Meat Anim. Res. Center, Agr. Res. Service.






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Copyright © 1982 by the American Society of Animal Science.