Group Feeding vs. Individual Feeding of Lambs

Abstract

Variation in lamb growth experiments was studied with 24 individually-fed and 48 group-fed wether lambs ( 16 groups of three). The variables ( method of feeding, energy level and environment) were studied in a 23 factorial experiment. The two methods of feeding were individual and groups of three. The two energy levels were a high-energy and a low-energy ration. The two environments consisted of an open and a semi-closed barn. The group-fed lambs had a greater rate of gain and energy gain than those fed individually. The greater energy gain was due to a greater growth response and a heavier final weight, since there were no differences in percent body protein or fat. The group-fed lambs consumed more dry matter than the individually-fed lambs; however, there were no differences in the NEM+P of the ration. The lambs fed the high-energy ration had a greater growth response, energy gain and NEM+P of the ration than those fed the low-energy ration. The Iambs fed the high-energy ration in the semi-closed barn had a greater carcass fat content than those fed in the open barn whereas the lambs fed the low-energy ration in the open barn had a greater carcass fat content than those fed in the closed barn. The advantages of using individually-fed lambs in nutritional and biological research were discussed.