Summer ill-thrift in lambs

G.H. Scales, R.A. Moss, R.N. Burton

Winchmore Irrigation Research Station, Ashburton

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production. 1981, 41: 112-116

Suffolk x Romney lambs were offered herbage allowances of 1.7, 5.5 and 9.3 kg DM/lamb/d from mid January to late March on pastures containing either low (41%) or high (56%) proportions of dead material. Apparent intakes and herbage utilisations for low, medium and high herbage allowances were 1.0, 1.7 and 1.9 kg DM/lamb/d and 59%, 31% and 20% respectively. Liveweight gains for low, medium and high allowance lambs were 10, 113 and 127 g/d.

Spraying pastures with fungicides failed to improve weight gains and did not eliminate ryegrass staggers. Dosing lambs with Co, Fe, Zn, I and injected Cu also failed to improve lamb growth rate. It was concluded that ill-thrift was mainly a nutritional problem and that liveweight gains in excess of 150 g/d could be obtained by offering high allowances of herbage containing a high proportion of green material.

Keywords: NZSAPAB;

Last Updated 12-09-1998