CONTRIBUTION TO THE ARTIFICIAL MILK FEEDING OF LAMBS 3. Influence of the artificial milk composition on the production of heavy milkfed lambs

Abstract

Three kinds of artificial milk have been tried for the fattening of lambs Friesland X Chios and Friesland X Local breed of Attica for the production of heavy weight milk - lamb carcass (60 days old). They were the following: 1) Artificial milk made by the Agricultural college of Athens (total protein 37,5"/0 DM. fat 30'/n DM). 2) Ewelac (total protein 25,5% DM, fat 31%, DM) and 3) Ewelac enriched with hydrolyzed casein (total protein 37°/0 DM, fat 26°/0 DM), The milk substitutes were reconstituted to contain 20°/QDM. The liquid diets were offered individually two times per day (each time 600 g) at body temperature. Dry pelleted feed (630 S.U , 180 g D.P. per kg DM) and water were available after the 15th day. The quantities fed was adjusted to a total consumption of 7-8 kg DM per lamb. Results have shown that the artificial milk of commerce iEwelacj. supplied as above, produces in the case of Friesland X Local breed lambs satisfactory yields with final weight 18- 19 kg. Jn the case of lambs Friesland X Chios heavier weights are obtained (21 -22 kg) but the fattening conditions of the carcass is not satistactory. Enrichment of the artificial milk of commerce with hydrolysed casein does not prove to be worth while.