Abstract
Eight Suffolk ewes carrying twin fetuses were offered ammoniated rice straw ad libitum and 2 levels of concentrate during last 6 weeks of pregnancy. Ewes were individually penned indoors on slatted wooden floors, and offered either 0.6% or 0.9% body weight of concentrate at the basis of dry matter. All ewes gave birth to sound twin lambs. After lambing, ewes rearing twin lambs were offered 1.4% concentrate during first 8 weeks of lactation, and 1.1% concentrate during last 9 weeks of lactation. Ewes were offered ammoniated rice straw ad libitum throughout 17 weeks of lactation. Lambs were offered starter from 2 weeks of age, and ammoniated rice straw from 8 weeks of age.
During last 6 weeks of pregnancy, total intakes of crude protein and total digestible nutrients in ewes offered 0.9% concentrate were higher than those offered 0.6% concentrate. Dry matter intakes of ammoniated rice straw were 0.75-0.85, 1.10-1.29 and 1.46-1.63% of body weight during late pregnancy, first and last lactation respectively. In both treatments, blood concentration of 3-hydroxybutyrate increased during late pregnancy until lambing and then declined throughout lactation. The ewes offered 0.9% concentrate had higher increase in body weight during late pregnancy, and gave birth to heavier lambs than those offered 0.6% concentrate. After lambing, the ewes offered 0.9% concentrate had higher decline than those offered 0.6% concentrate in body weight during first lactation. In both treatments, their lambs had rapid growth into 40.9-43.6kg body weight at 17 weeks of age.
It is concluded that we can raise pregnant and lactating ewe, and her rearing lambs by feeding ammoniated rice straw and concentrate.
