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Title: PERFORMANCE OF LAMBS FED A FINISHING DIET CONTAINING EITHER ALFALFA OR KENAF AS THE ROUGHAGE SOURCE

Author
item REUTER, RYAN - OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY
item PHILLIPS, WILLIAM
item FITCH, G. - OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY
item BROWN, MICHAEL

Submitted to: American Society of Animal Science
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/1/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The objective of this research was to compare kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) to alfalfa (Medicago sativa) as a roughage source in the finishing diets of lambs. Purebred Suffolk lambs with an average weight of 31.8 kg (Ewe N = 21; Wether N = 29) born in the spring of 1997 were blocked by sex and randomly assigned within block to one of four pens (total of eight pens) on May 28, 1997. Pens were then randomly assigned to one of two dietary treatments. Each diet contained 1.3% limestone, 1.4% ammonium chloride, 5.9% molasses, 86.5% corn and 4.9% ground hay on an as is basis. Hay was either alfalfa or kenaf harvested as large round bales. From weaning until the start of the 86-d experimental period, lambs had ad libitum access to a pelleted high concentrate creep ration; therefore, no transitional diets were used during the finishing period. Lambs were fed in pens with a concrete surface and had ad libitum access to the experimental diets. Initial and final BW were taken after a 16-h fast. Data were analyzed as randomized complete block design using animal as the experimental unit for BW and ADG, but pen was used as the experimental unit for feed intake data. Wether lambs weighed more (p =.01) than ewe lambs at the beginning (33.5 kg vs 30.3 kg) and end (50.0 kg vs 47.4 kg) of the experiment. However, ADG's for the experimental period were similar (p = .19) between wethers and ewe lambs (203 vs 186 g/d). Replacing alfalfa hay in the finishing diet of lambs with kenaf hay had no affect on ADG (p = .41 ; alfalfa = 200 g ; kenaf = 191 g) or average daily feed consumption (p = .64; alfalfa = 1706 g ; kenaf = 1646 g). From these data we conclude that kenaf hay can replace alfalfa hay in the finishing diets of lambs without significantly affecting lamb performance or feed intake.