| heal.abstract |
The objective of this work was to compare two different :Lamb fattening systems. Twenty weaned male crossbred (Karagouniko x Boutsiko) lambs were divided into two equal groups (29 kg average body weight). Lambs of group A were kept exclusively on pasture for fattening, while lambs of group B were kept indoors in individual pens and fed 200 g of hay/lamb/day and concentrates ad libitum. Food intake and growth rate were recorded regularly and food conversion ratio was determined in both groups. Herbage growth (by HFRO sward stick), herbage yield (by cages) and herbage intake (by n-alkanes) were also determined. All lambs were slaughtered after 60 days and carcass characteristics were determined. The average DMI was 2.15 and 1.60 kg/lamb/day, and the average BW gain 200 and 246 g/day for groups A and B, respectively. Food conversion ratio was in favor of lambs of group B (10.75 vs. 6.52 kg DM/kg BW gain and 1.80 vs. 1.09 kg of dietary CP/kg BW gain), but feeding costs (2.2 vs. 3.35 USD/kg carcass) and labor costs were in favor of lambs of group A. The carcass weight of lambs kept on pasture was lower (P < 0.05) by 2.2 kg, but omental (P < 0.05) and perinephric (P < 0.001) fat were significantly heavier in animals of group B. It was concluded that the system of fattening lambs on pasture can allow for a higher margin to the farmer because of the lower inputs and the products of higher value, compared to the indoors fattening system. Moreover, this grazing system, operating under conditions of pronounced traditional character, can be physically, biologically and economically sustainable. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. |
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