NR 44. Effect of the supplementation with different mineral sources on the body development of crossbred lambs

Abstract

A trial was carried out in order to determine the effect of different mineral sources on the daily (GDP) and total (GTP) weight gain, increment of the thorax girth (ITPT) and the increment of withers height (ITAC) of crossbred lambs. The treatments evaluated, during 95 d, were: T0: hay ad libitum + 135 g of supplement/d (corn gluten meal: 80.4 %; soybean meal: 17.6 %; urea: 2 %); T1: hay ad libitum + 125 g of supplement/d (poultry litter:80 %; cane molasses: 20 %); T2: T0 + 5 g of dicalcium phosphate and T3: T0 + 7 g of commercial mineral mixture. Twenty lambs (5 lambs/treatment) of 11 kg liveweigt and 4 months of age were used, in a randomized design. Values for T0, T1, T2 & T3 were: GDP (P<.01): 51.0, 84.1, 78.8 & 80.6 g; GTP (P < .01): 4.83, 7.99, 7.48 & 7.66 kg; IPT (P<.01): 2.26, 6.05, 4.65 & 5.05 cm and IPT: 2.89, 5.21, 4.19 & 5.36 cm, respectively. The overall productive performance of the animals consuming any of the mineral supplements was significantly better than the control group. There was no diference among the different sources.