Monday, November 13, 2006 - 1:15 PM
72-3

Warm-Season Legume or Concentrate Supplementation Effects on the Performance of Lambs.

J. L. Foster1, A. T. Adesogan1, J. N. Carter2, Lynn Sollenberger3, R. O. Myer2, A. Blount2, A. Hughes1, M. Huisden1, J. Eckert1, and N. Krueger1. (1) Univ. of Florida, Dept. of Animal Science, Building 459, Shealy Dr., P.O. Box 110910, Gainesville, FL 32611, (2) Univ. of Florida, North Florida Research and Education Center, 3925 Hwy 71, Marianna, FL 32446, (3) PO Box 110300, University of Florida, University of Florida, Agronomy Dept., 2185 McCarty Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611-0300

This study determined how supplementing bahiagrass hay (BGH, Paspalum notatum) with soybean (Glycine max) meal (SBM) or warm-season legumes affects lamb performance.  Forty-two Dorper x Katadhin crossbred lambs (30.6 ± 5.5 kg) were fed ad libitum six-wk re-growth BGH (73.8% neutral detergent fiber (NDF), 7.4% crude protein (CP)) alone, or BGH supplemented with SBM (13.7% NDF, 50.1% CP), annual peanut (Arachis hypogea; 46.2% NDF, 13.4% CP), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata; 62.2% NDF, 10.7% CP), perennial peanut (Arachis glabrata; 43.3% NDF, 13.8% CP), pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan; 78.6% NDF, 11.2% CP), or soybean (59.0% NDF, 12.3% CP) hay.  The pulses were harvested at initial pod fill and the peanuts were the first cuttings.  Diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous (9.3% CP) and fed to six lambs per treatment for two, consecutive 21-d periods.  Dry matter intake (% BW) was greatest in lambs fed peanut diets (3.4-3.6), and lowest in lambs fed SBM (2.4), BHG alone (2.2), or pigeonpea (2.0).  Crude protein intake and apparent organic matter digestibility were greatest in lambs fed peanut or soybean diets (0.3-0.4% BW and 63.2-69.7%) and lowest in lambs fed SBM, BHG alone or pigeonpea (0.18-0.22% BW and 59.8-63.2%).  Intake of NDF was similar (1.83% BW) across diets, however NDF digestibility was greatest in lambs fed perennial peanut, BGH, and SBM (61.2-59.7%) and lowest in lambs fed soybean, annual peanut, cowpea, and pigeonpea (57.1-59.7%).  Apparent CP digestibility (%) was greatest in lambs fed perennial peanut (66.3) and lowest in lambs fed BGH (47.4).  Blood urea N and glucose concentrations (mg/dl) were greater in lambs fed peanut diets (13.2-13.5 and 74.2-76.8) than those fed other diets (8.3-12.5 and 69-73), except for similar blood glucose concentrations (73.6) in lambs fed SBM and peanut diets.  Perennial and annual peanut hays were the most promising supplements for the growing lambs. 

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