Published in
Elsevier, Livestock Production Science, 3(63), p. 291-296, 2000
DOI: 10.1016/s0301-6226(99)00134-7
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Effects of live weight, maturity and genotype of sheep fed a hay-based diet, on intake, digestion and live weight gain
,
Arnaldo Alves Dias da Silva,
A. J. M. Fonseca,
Jorge Manuel Teixeira de Azevedo,
J. T. Azevedo
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Abstract
The effects of initial live weight (LW; 18 and 30 kg), maturity (40 and 65% mature LW) and genotype on dry matter intake (DMI), LW gain (LWG), organic matter digestibility (OMD), rumen outflow rate of solid phase and urinary allantoin-N excretion were examined in 14 and 21 female lambs from the local breed Churra da Terra Quente (CH) and Ile-de-France (IF), respectively. LW at 40 and 65% maturity was 18 and 30 kg and 30 and 49 kg for CH and IF lambs, respectively. Lambs were individually fed coarsely ground meadow hay (4 cm) ad libitum supplemented with a protein concentrate over a period of 12 weeks. DMI (g kg(-1) LW0.75) and rumen outflow rate were higher and OMD lower (P