The effect of silage dry matter content and protein supplementation on the intake and performance of housed store lambs

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Silage based diets fed to store lambs have often produced unsatisfactory growth rates. The factors affecting silage dry matter intake and the utilisation of silage by store lambs are not clearly understood.In each of two years 1981/2 and 1982/3 spring born store lambs (initial liveweight 31 kg) were housed from October until January. Three types of silage were fed ad-libitum:-1. Unwilted + additive (UN + A).2. Wilted + additive (W + A).3. Wilted without additive (W).Two groups of 23 lambs were fed on each type of silage; one group without supplementation (Nil) and the other at 60 g white fishmeal per lamb per day (WFM).