Performance of Pre-weaning Javanese Thin-Tail Lambs under
Semi-Intensive Management at Different Age and Sex
M. Baihaqi*, S. Rahayu, & Y. Saputra
Department of Animal Production and Technology, Faculty of Animal Science, Bogor Agricultural University,
Jl. Agatis Kampus IPB Darmaga Bogor 16680, Indonesia *Email: baihaqi@ipb.ac.id
Abstract
The study was conducted to determine growth traits of thin tail pre-weaning lambs that produced in semi intensive management system. 61 animals (30 ewes and 31 lambs) were used in this study that located at Jonggol Animal Science Teaching and Research, Faculty of Animal Science, Bogor Agricultural University. Birth weights (BW), average daily gain (ADG) and weaning weight (WW) of lambs were affected by sex and ewes age. The highest of BW lambs was obtained from 2-year-age ewes (2,316±349 g), but ADG and WW of lambs from 3-year-2-year-age of ewes were highest than others (85.1±32 g/day and 7,385±2,351 g, respectively). BW of female was higher than male lambs (2,264±438 g and 2,149±716 g) but ADG and WW of male (80±24 g/day and 6,969±2,078 g) was higher than female lambs (69±26 g and 6,469±1,788 g). The WW was significantly (P<0,01) correlated by BW and ADG with r value were 0.67 and 0,96 respectively.
Keywords: correlation, performance, semi-intensive, thin-tail lamb
Introducton
Growth s one of mportant aspect n lvestock producton. Good growth per-formance wll boost producton. One phase n lvestock producton process s anmal pre-weanng, where anmal growth process n ths phase would affect the product-vty of post-weanng producton. In sheep, f pre-weanng performance such as brth weght, body weght gan and weanng weghts are hgh, then further growth wll be hgh too (Rggo et al., 2008). Marquez et al., (2012) added that some lmtng factors that cause falure to acheve a hgh level of performance n sheep producton are the low brth rate, hgh mortalty rate, low body weght gan and poor manage-ment.
Furthermore, those management systems wthout concentrate supplementaton would mplcate body weght development and daly weght gan of pre-weanng lambs (Gauly et al., 2004). Ylmaz et al. (2007) mentoned that male lambs showed better pre-weanng growth than female lambs that reared n extensve system. Nevertheless, study focusng on sem-ntensve sheep management n Indonesa generally s stll lmted. Ths study was conducted to dentfy growth performance of pre-weanng lambs n sem-ntensve management system.
Materals and Methods
The study was conducted n Jonggol Anmal Scence Teachng and Research Unt (Jastru), Faculty of Anmal Scence, Bogor Agrcultural Unversty (IPB) Indo-nesa. Ths area s located at 106,53Ths area s located at 106,53o E and 6,53o N and at an alttude 145 m, where
monthly ranfall s 65 mm wth mnmum, maxmum temperature and humdty s 20,8 oC, 32,9 oC and 91,7 respectvely.
Sheep producton n Jastru was reared n 55 ha of B. humidicola rangeland and managed by sem-ntensve. Thrty pregnant ewe and thrty one young growng lambs were used n ths study. Lambs and ts mother were grazed from 09:00 am untl 4:00 pm every day wthout any concentrate supplementaton. Ad libitum waterng was allowed to all anmals durng grazed. Anmals were housed at nght n colony stable. Type of grass n pastures was domnated by B. humidicola wth nutrents composton of crude proten, fber, fat, ash and NFE were 11.5, 41.2, 0.2, 7.2 and 42.75 of dry matter basses respectvely.
Durng four months thrty pregnant ewes wth dfferent of ages were observed untl brth. Data of lambs werecollected type of brth, brth weght, body weght gan and weanng weght. The data were analyzed descrptvely. Correlatons were analyzed among data by Pearson correlaton analyss n order to see the relatonshps between varables (Walpole, 1995).
Results and Dscusson
Birth Weight
Result showed that brth weght of female lambs was hgher than male lambs (Table 1). Based on age of ewe, t was found that one-year-old ewes had the lowest lamb’s brth weght. Gardner et al. (2007) mentoned that brth weght was correlated to maternal characterstcs. Sheep n the frst party generally have not been the maxmum growth of reproductve organs. The frst pregnancy leaves a ‘physologcalThe frst pregnancy leaves a ‘physologcal mprnt’ n the uterus and enables greater blood volume expanson durng the second pregnancy and wll facltate greater fetal n subsequent pregnances (Campbell and MacGllvray, 1984).
study were 2.1 and 2.3 kg, respectvely. These results werehgher than the study conducted by Reese et al. (1990), Grace et al. (2007), Gunawan and Noor (2006) and Suryapratama (1990) who resulted the lamb brth weght 1.5 kg, 1.9 kg, 1,7 kg and 1.9 kg, respectvely. Heryad (2007) mentoned that the standard brth weght of garut sheep breed wasbetween 2.0 to 3.2 kg. It showed that n sem-ntensve management wthout supplementaton of addtonal feed stll produce a good brth weght of lambs.
Growth Rate
The male lambs hadhgher body weght gan compared to female 80.3 g/h/d and 69.9 g/h/d, respectvely (Table 2), although male lambs had less brth weght (Table 1). Mandal et al. (2012) concluded that growth of lamb’s body weght s strongly nfluenced by gender. Tuah and Baah (1985) also added that skeletal growth of male lambs s hgher than the female so that growth of male would be hgher than female lambs. Growth also s affected by hormonal system. Testosterone produced by male anmals would promote body tssue growth of male lambs (Mact, 2002).
Average body weght gans (BWG) of male and female Javanese thn-tal lambs n ths study were 80,3 and 69,9 g/h/d respectvely. The study conducted by Reese et al. (1990) only has 56 g/h/d of Javenese thn-tal lamb wthout feed supplementaton of ts ewe.
Table 1. Brth weght of lambs by ts sex and age of ewes (g)
Age of ewe
2 1,900±0 (1) 2,420±300 (4) 2,316±349 (5)
3 2,303±887 (4) 2,258±666 (4) 2,280±727 (8)
4 2,097±720 (7) 2,285±362 (8) 2,197±545 (15)
Average 2,149±716 (12) 2,264±438 (19)
-Table 2. Body weght gan of lambs by ts sex and age of ewes (g)
Age of ewe
2 73.0±0.0 (1) 75.88±7.58 (4) 75.3±6.6 (5)
3 86.4±26.0 (4) 83.7±42.0 (4) 85.1±32.3 (8)
4 77.8±27.8 (7) 63.3±15.72 (8) 74±24 (15)
-Weaning weight
Weanng weght has a postve relatonshp wth brth weght of lambs. Sheep whch have a hgh brth weght wll generally have a hgh ablty to lve through the crtcal perod after brth and wll have a hgh weanng weght. Table 3 shows that male lambs had hgher body weght than female lambs. It could relate to the body weght gan was hgher n male lambs (Table 2), so that the weanng weght s hgher.
In ths study the weanng weghts of males and females lamb reached 6.9 kg and 6.4 kg, lower than the study conducted by Grace et.al. (2007) and Gunawan and Noor (2006) who reprted that the data were 8.0 kg and 10.3 kg respectvely. The result mght be caused by feedng management. Lambs n both studes were kept by addton of ntensve concentrate feed, so that nutrton requrements are lkely met. Ths study ndcates that sem-ntensve management requred addtonal feed or concentrate n order to ncrease anmals’ productvty.
The correlatons between brth weght, body weght gan and weanng weght showed a very close postve relatonshp between these three varables (P<0.01). The hghest correlaton was found between body weght gan wth weanng weght (r= 0.97) (Table 4). Rahmat et al. (2007) also obtaned that correlaton between brth weght and body weght gan was hgh n Javanese thn-tal lambs.
Table 3. Weanng weght of lambs by ts sex and age of ewes (g)
Age of ewe
2 6,300 (1) 6,975±741 (4) 6,840±709 (5)
3 7,488±2,437 (4) 7,275±2,464 (4) 7,385±7,385 98)
4 6,769±2,156 (7) 6,535±1,384 (8) 6,644±1,722 (15)
-Conclusons
Mantenance of sheep n sem-ntensve systems wthout addtonal feed stll had a low success rate n ts producton. Nevertheless, addton of concentrate feed s needed to mprove the performance of lambs produced. In ths study, brth weght, average body weght gan and weanng weght of lambs were affected by ts sex and age ewes. There was a very close relatonshp performance between brth weght, body weght gan and weanng weght of lamb reared on sem-ntensve system.
Acknowledgment
The authors wsh to acknowledge Jonggol Anmal Scence Teachng and Research Unt (Jastru), Faculty of Anmal Scence, Bogor Agrcultural Unversty (IPB) for profdng all necessary for the study.
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