Effect of feeding frequency on productive performance of fattening rahmany lambs [electronic resource].

Includes references.

Twenty four Rahmany lambs (average live weight: 34 kg and 8-9 months old) were used to evaluate the effect of feeding frequency on their growth performance. Animals were randomly allocated to one of three dietary experimental groups for 3 months, either feed offered once daily at 6.00 (G1) or twice daily at 6.00 and 18.00 (G2) or three times daily at 6.00, 14.00 and 22.00' (G3), respectively. Animals were fed by group feeding with total mixed ration (75% concentrate mixture and 25% clover hay) at the level of 4% of live body weight. Body weight was recorded weekly then daily weight gain and feed to gain ratio were calculated. At the end of the feeding trial, digestibility trials were carried out using three animals for each experimental group and the apparent digestibility of nutrients, nitrogen balance and some parameters of rumen fluid and blood were determined. Results showed that increased feeding frequency up to three times (G3) improved (P<0.05) both digestibility of nutrients, nutritive value (as TDN and DCP) and nitrogen balance as compared to groups G1 and G2. Increasing the feeding frequency improved the rumen fluid pH and increased the ammonia nitrogen concentration in the rumen fluid but decreased the concentration of total volatile fatty acids. Growth performance and economical efficiency were improved with increasing the feeding frequency up to twice or three times. According to the circumstances of this study increasing of the daily feeding frequency up to twice or three times resulted an improvement in both growth performance and economical efficiency of fattening lambs. Finally further research should be conducted to study the effect of increasing daily feeding frequency more than three times.

Summary in Arabic.

1