Whole wheat grain feeding of pregnant and lactating ewes and their lambs. 2. Lamb productivity from whole wheat diets with varying levels of sodium chloride and elemental sulphur supplements

Abstract

Lambs born to ewes fed whole wheat grain were raised and fattened on whole wheat supplemented with varying levels of sodium chloride or elemental sulphur. Liveweights, wheat intakes, feed conversions and carcase weights were measured. Lamb birth weights increased with increasing quantities of energy, and of sodium chloride at high sulphur levels, offered to the ewe during late pregnancy. A weaning weight response to sodium chloride supplementation at high sulphur levels (P < 0.10) was substantially reduced when weaning weight was adjusted for ewe milk production. Lambs were successfully weaned at seven weeks of age to a diet of whole wheat grain. Their subsequent slaughter weights and carcase weights increased with sodium chloride supplementation up to levels of about 1.2 to 1.4 per cent. Little change occurred in the sodium chloride response when slaughter weight was adjusted for weaning weight. The importance of these results in relation to the mineral requirements of lambs fed whole wheat grain is discussed.