Growth Performance of Barbados Blackbelly, Katahdin and St. Croix Hair Sheep Lambs Fed Pasture- or Hay-based Diets

Authors

S. Wildeus, Virginia State University
K. E. Turner, USDA-ARS Appalachian Farming Systems Research Center
J. R. Collins, Virginia State University

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2005

Comments

Sheep & Goat Research Journal, Volume 20, 2005.

Abstract

Two experiments evaluated growth of mixed-sex Barbados Blackbelly, Katahdin, and St. Croix hair sheep lambs raised on pasture or hay-based diets with moderate levels of energy supplementation. In Experiment 1, 36 ewe and wether lambs were allocated to a pasture or pen feeding group in May. Pasture animals rotationally grazed tall fescue pasture, while pen animals were offered chopped alfalfa hay, and both groups were supplemented with corn/soybean meal at 0.75% of body weight. In Experiment 2, 72 lambs were allocated to pen and pasture in April, and provided either a low or high crude protein concentration corn/soybean meal supplement at 1.5% of body weight.