IMPACT OF DIFFERENT HOUSING SYSTEMS WHILE FEEDING THREE TIMES DAILY ON PRODUCTIVE AND PHYSIOLOGICAL PERFORMANCE OF FARAFRA MALE LAMBS UNDER HOT CLIMATE CONDITION.

Twenty Farafra male lambs aged 3-4 months and weighed 15.59 ±1.99kg randomly distributed into two groups (10 animals each). First group kept in semi-open shaded yard and the second in open yard with double asbestos roof pen. The experiment lasted 140 days (23 May to 10 October 2015). Feed of animals in the two groups consisted of 75% concentrate feed mixture and 25% corn silage. All animals offered feed three times per day (at 8 am, 1 and 6 pm). The results showed significant increase (P >0.05) in total body weight gain of the first group than the second group (21.67 vs.19.38 kg) and average daily gain (0.154 vs. 0.138 kg). Dry matter intake was slightly higher in first group than the second one (1.071 vs.1.035 kg/h/d) and the same with feed conversion efficiency (6.95vs.7.50). At the morning there were no significant differences between the first and second groups in relative humidity (70.2 vs. 67.8), temperature humidity index (71.1 vs. 72.3), respiration rate (34.97 vs. 41.99), while rectal temperature was significantly (P<0.05) lower in the first group than the second (39.35 vs. 39.5). At afternoon the relative humidity was significantly (P<0.001) lower in the first group than the second (32 vs. 47.3). Temperature humidity index was significantly (P<0.01) higher in the first group than the second (90.6 vs. 84). Respiration rate was significantly (P<0.05) higher in the first group than the second (59.95vs.51.35) and rectal temperature was higher in the first than the second group (39.70 vs.39.63). The results indicate that rearing Farafra lambs in semi-open shaded yard is better than in open yards with double asbestos roof pen in productive and physiological performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]