Journal article
Feed intake, liveweight gain and carcass traits of lambs offered pelleted annual pasture hay supplemented with flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum) flakes or algae (Schizochytrium sp.)
VF Burnett, JL Jacobs, S Norng, EN Ponnampalam
Animal Production Science | CSIRO PUBLISHING | Published : 2017
DOI: 10.1071/AN15230
Abstract
In southern Australia, pastures comprised of annual ryegrass may not meet the nutritional requirements of fast-growing (>250 g/day) lambs in summer-autumn (December-May). An animal house experiment was conducted from March to July 2010 to investigate the use of flaxseed and algae as two potential supplements to improve feed intake, liveweight gain and carcass traits in lambs. One hundred and twenty lambs (in two groups of 60) were fed one of four diets, pelleted annual pasture hay (subterranean clover and annual ryegrass) (T1); pelleted annual pasture hay + flaxseed flakes (T2); pelleted annual pasture hay + algae supplement (T3); pelleted annual pasture hay + flaxseed flakes + algae supplem..
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Funding Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge financial support from the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources Agriculture Research and Development Division. We thank the Livestock Production Sciences team at DEDJTR Rutherglen including Greg Seymour, Wayne Dempsey, Ken Wilson and Michelle Smith and at DEDJTR Werribee, including Wayne Brown and Matt Kerr for technical assistance, including feeding and management, liveweight assessment, transportation and slaughter management of lambs.