Effect of feed supplementation on growth performance and plasma minerals and metabolites in hair lambs grazing Panicum maximum

Abstract

Forty-eight hair lambs (12.7 ± 1.9 kg BW) that grazed Panicum maximum pasture in the daytime and were kept in yards overnight were used to evaluate the influence of a feed supplement on growth performance, plasma minerals and metabolites. Lambs were randomly assigned to two treatments: no feed supplement (control) and feed supplement (300 g/head per day). The growth performance trial lasted 77 days. At the end of the trial, blood samples were collected to determine plasma minerals and metabolites. Feed supplementation improved total BW gain, ADG and feed conversion as compared to no supplementation. Supplemented lambs had higher serum concentrations of total protein, albumin, globulin and glucose than lambs not supplemented. Packed blood cell volume, haemoglobin, urea and cholesterol, as well as blood mineral values in lambs not supplemented were similar to those of supplemented lambs. Feed supplementation of growing lambs grazing pasture in the daytime and kept in yards overnight is an important management strategy for improving growth performance and some blood metabolites related to health and nutritional status.