Improving Production Of Merino Sheep With Protein Meal Supplementation In Xinjiang Province, China

Abstract

Sheep production in pastoral and agricultural areas in Xinjiang Province, China, is usually restricted by the low availability and poor quality of forages. Supplementation therefore plays an important role in improving animal performance in these areas, especially during winter. Feeding ruminants on roughages with protein meal supplements has been shown to improve growth rate, wool production, milk yield and reproductive performance of animals by improving total nutrient supply and/or balance of absorbed nutrients and thereby improving efficiency. Oilseed meals are abundant in Xinjiang Province, in particular sunflower meal (SFM) and cottonseed meal (CSM). In these two experiments, effects of supplementation with SFM or CSM on growth rate and wool production in Xinjiang Merino sheep fed mixed pasture hay were evaluated. In the first experiment, effects of supplementation with SFM and CSM on live-weight gain and wool growth were examined at two planes of energy intake which represented the feeding conditions of maintenance and production respectively for sheep in Xinjiang Province. Twenty-four Xinjiang Merino ewe weaners (average initial liveweight 21.3 kg) were allocated to six treatments in a repeated randomised block design. Treatments were: 1) control (C), ad libitum access to mixed pasture hay with a daily supply of 10 g urea and 10 g mineral mix, 2) C + 120 g SFM; 3) C + 80 g CSM., 4) C + 200 g maize grain ., 5) C + 200 g maize grain + 70 g SFM-, 6) C + 200 g maize grain + 45 g CSM. Each supplemented sheep received 5 g supplemental N daily.