Ekanayake Lukshman Jay, Corner-Thomas Rene Anne, Cranston Lydia Margaret, Kenyon Paul Richard, Morris Stephen Todd
School of Agriculture and Environment, Private Bag 11-222, Massey University, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand.
Animals (Basel). 2020 Apr 2;10(4):613. doi: 10.3390/ani10040613.
Liveweight gain of lambs weaned early at a minimum live weight of 14 kg, at ~50 days of age, onto a herb-clover mix was compared with lambs that remained unweaned on a grass-predominant pasture or a herb-clover mix until conventional weaning (at ~99 days of age). Over two years, twin sets of lambs that had a minimum live weight of 14 kg were randomly allocated to one of three treatments: (1) Early weaning of lambs onto a herb-clover mix (Herb); (2) ewes and lambs grazing a herb-clover mix until conventional weaning (Herb); and (3) ewes and lambs grazing a grass-predominant pasture until conventional weaning (Grass). Herb lambs had slower ( < 0.05) growth rates than Grass lambs between early weaning and conventional weaning in 2016 and were 800 g lighter ( < 0.05) at conventional weaning. In 2017, however, both Herb and Grass had similar ( > 0.05) growth rates and did not differ ( > 0.05) in live weight at conventional weaning. Herb lambs had a greater ( < 0.05) growth rates than both Herb and Grass lambs in both years. Lambs weaned early onto a herb-clover mix have the potential to achieve live weights similar to lambs unweaned on grass-predominant pasture. Further research, however, is required to understand conditions under which early-weaned lambs can achieve similar live weights.
将约50日龄、最低活重为14千克的羔羊提前断奶，转至草本植物与三叶草混合的牧场饲养，并将其增重情况与那些在以草为主的牧场或草本植物与三叶草混合的牧场一直饲养到传统断奶时间（约99日龄）的未断奶羔羊进行比较。在两年时间里，将最低活重为14千克的双羔随机分配到三种处理方式之一：（1）将羔羊提前断奶，转至草本植物与三叶草混合的牧场（草本组）；（2）母羊和羔羊在草本植物与三叶草混合的牧场放牧，直至传统断奶（草本组）；（3）母羊和羔羊在以草为主的牧场放牧，直至传统断奶（草本组）。2016年，在提前断奶至传统断奶期间，草本组羔羊的生长速度比草本组羔羊慢（P<0.05），在传统断奶时体重轻800克（P<0.05）。然而，在2017年，草本组和草本组的生长速度相似（P>0.05），在传统断奶时体重也没有差异（P>0.05）。在这两年中，提前断奶转至草本植物与三叶草混合牧场的羔羊生长速度均快于其他两组羔羊（P<0.05）。提前断奶转至草本植物与三叶草混合牧场的羔羊有可能达到与在以草为主的牧场未断奶羔羊相似的体重。然而，需要进一步研究以了解早期断奶羔羊能够达到相似体重的条件。
