COMPARISON OF VOLUNTARY INTAKE, DIGESTIBILITY OF NUTRIENTS OF THE EWE MILK AND A COMMERCIAL MILK REPLACER AND THEIR EFFECTS ON PERFORMANCE IN DALAGH BREED SUCKLING LAMBS

Early weanling and rearing of lambs on milk replacer is an important act to increasing flock productivity. Two experiments were carried out to compare the voluntary intake and nutrients digestibility ewe milk and commercial milk replacer and their feeding effects on the growth rate, feed intake and feed efficiency of suckling lambs. In experiment 1, eight lambs (two 4-lamb groups) at 31 to 34 days of age for 14 days and in experiment 2, thirty (two15-lamb groups) Dalagh breed male lambs at 3±1 days of age for 90 days were reared in individual cages. In both the experiments, one group was fed with ewe milk and the other one with milk replacer. In experiment 1, the average of dry matter intake per Kg metabolic weight, dry matter, crude protein and crude fat digestibility of lambs which were fed with those which were fed with ewe milk and milk replacer had statistically significant difference (p< 0.01). In experiment 2, the average of daily weight gain, dry matter intake and feed efficiency of lambs fed with ewe milk and milk replacer did not have statistically significant differences (p>0.05). These experiments showed that suckling lambs fed with milk replacer in comparison with those fed with ewe milk; did not have any difference in growth, feed intake and feed efficiency.