EXAMINATION OF TWO SCHEMES FOR FEEDING OF EARLY WEANED LAMBS WITH THE DRY DISTILLERS GRAINS AND LIMITED QUANTITY OF SOYBEAN MEAL

Miroslav Simeonov, Nikolay Todorov, Atanas Kirilov, Ina Stoicheva

Abstract: The objective of the experiment is to determine whether it is justified from biological and economic point of view giving soybean meal during the whole period of fattening of early weaned lambs from 9 to 25 kg live weight or it is possible after the development of rumen and reaching 16 kg live weight to eliminate expensive soybean meal. Experiment was conducted with two groups of 11 lambs each receiving the same ration, from weaning at average age 18.5 days and at 9.3 kg live weight to 16 kg live weight. Then to the end of the experiment (up to 25 kg live weight) from diet of experimental group soybean meal is removed. Lambs received approximately equal amounts of pelleted dry distiller’s grains with solute to (DDGS) to which are added the minerals and vitamins and whole grain maize. Additionally lambs have ad libitum alfalfa hay and restricted at 100 g soybean meal a day, independently of age and live weight of lambs during the first period of the experiment and in the control group during the second period. The proportion of soybean meal from the total, quantity of concentrated feed was 24% in the first period and 12% during the second period in the control group. There are no differences between two groups in feed intake, live weight gain, and expense of feed, energy and nutrients per one kilogram gain. In conclusion, when lambs are fed by tested scheme, depriving the ration of soybean meal, which leads to a decease of level of lysine after 16 kg live weight wasn’t obstacle for the lambs to have 300 g daily gain. Requirement of the lambs of the limiting amino acids lysine and methionine is discussed. Excluding expensive soybean meal in the scheme of feeding the lambs over 16 kg live weight, is justified biologically and economically.

Keywords: early weaning; lambs; live weight gain.; maize; pelleted dry distillers grains; soybean meal

Date published: 2023-03-08