Influence of supplementation on weight gain of lambs grazing barley stubble.
Thomas V.M. | Frey A.L. | Padula R.F. | Hoaglund C.M. | Clark C.K.
Cereal-grain stubble, chaff and grain regrowth are available in many areas during late summer and fall and provide an alternative source of feed for grazing animals. This study evaluated lamb (Ovis aries) weight gains when grazing barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) aftermath either alone or with energy/protein supplementation. Two grazing trials were conducted in consecutive years and 42 lambs were randomly assigned to three treatments: Year 1: (i) control (C, no supplement); (ii) soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] meal (SBM); (iii) blood meal plus corn (Zea mays L.) gluten meal (BM + CGM); Year 2: (i) C; (ii) barley grain (BAR); (iii) SBM + BAR. Stocking rate was 4 lambs/acre. Lambs were weighed initially, after 21 d, and at the end of each 42 d trial. In Year 1, lambs fed an SBM supplement gained more (P < 0.05) weight and had greater (P < 0.05) daily gains than C lambs during Period 1. Weight gain during Period 2 was similar (P > 0.05) between treatments, but less than Period 1. Soybean meal supplemented lambs gained more (P < 0.05) total weight during the entire experiment than C or BM + CGM lambs (15.8 vs. 12.1 and 12.8 lb). Lambs supplemented with SBM + BAR gained more (P < 0.05) total weight (10.3 vs. 7.7 and 8.1 lb) than those supplemented with BAR or C in Year 2. Lambs in Year 2 responded more to supplementation during Period 2 than Period 1. Our conclusion is that barley stubble provided a suitable feed resource for backgrounding weaned lambs for 42 d in the fall. In both years, lambs supplemented with SBM performed better than C.
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