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Effect of Feeding Frequency on Intake, Digestibility, Ingestive Behavior, Performance, Carcass Characteristics, and Meat Quality of Male Feedlot Lambs
- Source :
- Agriculture, Vol 11, Iss 776, p 776 (2021), Agriculture, Volume 11, Issue 8
- Publication Year :
- 2021
- Publisher :
- MDPI AG, 2021.
-
Abstract
- The study was conducted to evaluate the effects of feeding frequencies (one, two, three, and four times per day) on the performance of male feedlot lambs. Forty Santa Inês male lambs were used with an average age of 120 days approximately and initial body weight of 24.90 ± 1.8 kg (mean ± S.D.). The lambs were distributed to treatment groups in a completely randomized experimental design, with 10 animals per treatment, placed in individual pens. A standard diet consisted of Tifton-85 hay and concentrate with a ratio of 60:40, respectively. The different feeding frequencies did not influence (p &gt<br />0.05) the intake of nutritional components, blood parameters, weight gain, ingestive behavior, carcass characteristics, or meat quality of male feedlot lambs. The feeding frequency of 3 and 4 times per day promoted the highest digestibility of neutral detergent fiber (NDF<br />p = 0.008) and total digestible nutrients (TDN<br />p = 0.002). The feeding frequency of 3 times per day promoted the highest digestibility of crude protein (CP<br />p = 0.005). The time devoted to rumination (min/kg DM) was increased (p = 0.029) when the diet was supplied once a day compared to the other feeding frequencies. Based on these results, the recommended feeding frequency for male feedlot lambs is once a day. When feeding at this frequency, the ingestive behavior, productivity, carcass characteristics, and meat quality of male feedlot lambs will not be compromised.
- Subjects :
- feeding frequency
sheep
intensive system
Agriculture (General)
animal diseases
Plant Science
Biology
Body weight
S1-972
Neutral Detergent Fiber
Nutrient
Animal science
Feedlot
ruminant nutrition
medicine
Hay
Standard diet
medicine.symptom
Blood parameters
Agronomy and Crop Science
Weight gain
Food Science
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 20770472
- Volume :
- 11
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Agriculture
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....36ae1d8f01461c1330f62c45ba339a48