Developmental Stages of Lambs

1
Developmental Stages of Lambs

• Dr. Dan Morrical
• Iowa State University

2
Development Stages of Lamb Digestive System

• Birth - 3 weeks pre-ruminant
• 3-8 weeks - psuedo ruminant
• 8 weeks on - ruminant

3
Birth Solely dependent on milk

• Composition of ewes milk
• 18.2 dry matter
• 5-7 fat
• 24.7 crude protein
• 26.4 lactose
• 7.5 mg/lb Vit E
• 11 IU /lb Vit E

4
Milk Yield and Composition Impact Lamb Performance

• Higher milk fat leads to increase energy intake
• ISU creep trials 16, 21 26 CP
• No variation in performance
• Megalac increases milk fat

5
Creep Diets

• Palatable
• -Corn
• -Soybean meal
• -Molasses
• Roughage is of minimal value
• Lambs get adequate roughage intake from ewe
  diets

6
Creep Diets

• Easily digestible
• 15-20 crude protein
• Added fat

7
Creep Ration
Corn 1470 SBM 49 370 Molasses 100 Limestone
40 TM salt 10 Ammonium sulfate 10 CTC 50
grams Selenium .2 grams Vitamin A 1,000,000
IU Vitamin D 100,000 IU Vitamin E 35,000
IU Zinc 136 grams Crude protein 16.7 TDN 83.4
Calcium .84 Phosphorous .38
8
Ration Physical Characterics

• Very young lambs Meal form
• 3-8 weeks Medium grind
• 8-12 weeks Coarse grind
• gt12 weeks Whole grains

9
Nutrient Requirements

• Factors
• Sex
• Lean Growth Potential
• Weight

10
Composition of Gain

• Rams Lambs Superior
• Wethers Intermediate
• Ewe Lambs Poorest

11
Mature Size

• Lambs are market ready at 65 of average mature
  weight of ewes of parent breeds.
• 220 lb. sire 180 lb. dam 400 2 200.
• 200 x .65 130.

12
Protein Concentration of Lamb Rations
ADG Lamb Wt.
.50 .60 .70 .80 40 15.9 17.0 18.6 20.4
55 13.4 14.7 15.8 16.9 70 12.8 13.9 14.7
15.5 85 12.0 12.7 13.4 14.3
100 11.4 11.9 12.6 13.3 115 10.8 11.4 11.9
12.5
13
Protein Quantity and Quality

• Very young lambs -
• solely dependent on feed protein
• for quality and quantity
• Ruminant
• -Protein quality depends on
• Feed origin
• Bacterial origin

14
Ruminant - Protein Quantity

• Intake
• Microbial yield
• -impacted by energy intake
• -rumen ammonia level
• -liquid dilution rate

15
Rumen Bacteria

• Cellulolytic - Fiber digesters
• Amylolytic - Starch digesters
• Proteolytic - Bacterial protein digesters

16
Lamb Intake

• Controlled by
• Fill
• Energy
• Low concentrate diets -- fill
• High concentrate diets -- energy

17
Specific Nutrients
Vit E. 30,000 IU/ton Se .3 ppm Ca .48 P .24 Salt .
5-1.0
18
What Type of Ration

• 1. Targeted marketing date.
• 2. Relative costs of nutrients.
• 3. Compositional goal.
• 4. Facility size.
• 5. Feed processing equipment storage.
• 6. Feeding system.

19
Simplest System

• Whole corn Pelleted Protein Supplement.
• Advantages
• -Superior feed efficiency
• -Self fed
• -Low processing costs
• -Low cost diet
• -Acidosis risk

20
Simplest System...continued

• Disadvantages
• -Sorting
• -Slower gains
• -Quality of protein supplement
• -Cash expense for protein

21
High Hay Rations

• Advantages
• -Minimal cash outlay
• -Value added to hay crop
• -Improved composition
• Disadvantages
• -Lower ADG
• -More facilities, bunks and pens
• -Hay waste

22
Weaned Lamb Performance on Grass

• Factors - Forage Species
• Grass vs. legumes
• -Age of lamb
• -Health of lambs
• -Condition of lambs

23
Lamb Gains on Straight Grass

• .20 - .25 pounds per day
• .35 - .50 w/pound supplementation
• Conversion 110 t0 15

24
Escape Protein for Pasture Lambs

• Sources
• Blood Meal
• Fish Meal
• Corn Gluten Meal

25
Nursing Lamb Performance on Grass

• Milk Production is Key
• 1. Rotational grazing
• a. high quality and quantity of forage
• b. reduced competition between ewe offspring
• 2. Creep Feeding
• a. improved growth
• b. allows coccidia control
• c. increases cost of production