6th Weighing

The lambs were weighed for a 6th time on July 19. Gains continue to be good. From July 5-July 19, gain ranged from 3.9 to 16.3 lbs. and averaged 10.0 ± 3.6 lbs. One lamb lost weight (3.5 lbs); no explanation why.  The median gain was 10 lbs. For the sixty lambs, the 14-d ADG ranged from 0.279 to 1.19 lbs. per day and averaged 0.717 ± 0.256. The median ADG was 0.711.

Grazing dwarf pearl millet

For the weigh period, the short-scrotum ram lambs (n=17) had the highest ADG:  0.854 ± 0.204 lbs. per day. The wethers (n=24) had the lowest ADG: 0.620 ± 0.254 lbs. per day. The ram lambs (n=19) were intermediate in gain: 0.740 ± 0.243 lbs. per day.

For the entire 84 days of the project, gain has ranged from 28.1 to 71.4 lbs. and averaged 52.1 ± 8.3 lbs. The median gain is 52.4 lbs. For the sixty lambs, ADG has ranged from 0.335 to 0.850 lbs. per day and averaged 0.620 ± 0.099 lbs. per day. No lamb has lost weight. The current weight of all sixty lambs is 109.4 ± 13.4 lbs.

So far, the short-scrotum ram lambs have demonstrated the highest ADG:  0.680 ± 0.061 lbs. per day. Their current weight is 113.3 ± 9.1 lbs.  The ram lambs are intermediate: 0.608 ± 0.103. Their current weight is slightly less than the short-scrotum lambs: 112.3 ± 16.2 lbs. The wethers have the lowest ADG:  0.587 ± 0.101 lbs. per day. Their current weight is 104.3 ± 12.3 lbs.

Sex	No.	ADG - 6th period	84-d ADG
Ram	19	0.740 ± 0.243	0.608 ± 0.103
Wether	24	0.602 ± 0.254	0.587 ± 0.101
Short scrotum	17	0.854 ± 0.204	0.680 ± 0.061
ALL	60	0.717 ± 0.256	0.620 ± 0.099

The lambs are currently grazing a field of dwarf pearl millet. They have been consuming 2 lbs. of feed per head per day: whole barley, mixed with soybean meal and minerals.

All but a couple of the lambs had a FAMACHA©  score of 1.

5th Weighing

The lambs were weighed for the 5th time today. Gain was significantly higher, as compared to the previous two weigh periods.  The oat pasture has been depleted and the lambs have been grazing cool season perennials in the silvopasture area. Now, the lambs are grazing a paddock of dwarf pearl millet. Supplemental feeding is 2 lbs. per head per day. The ration, a mixture of whole barley, soybean meal, and minerals, is split into two equal feedings.

The lambs are getting BIG!

For the two week period of June 21-July 5, gain ranged from 4.2 to 18.7 lbs. and averaged 11.9 ± 3.5 lbs. The median gain was 11.9 lbs. One of the ram lambs lost weight, due to an injury. With the injured ram lamb removed from the data set, ADG ranged from 0.300 to 1.34 lb/d and averaged 0.872 ± 0.203. The median ADG was 0.852 lb/d. All of the lambs had FAMACHA© scores of 1 or 2; none required deworming.

For the 5th weigh period, the short scrotum rams (n=17) had the highest ADG: 1.002 ± 0.178 lb/d. The ram lambs (n=19) had the lowest ADG: 0.726 ± 0.328 lb/d. If the injured ram lamb is removed from the data set, the ram lambs' ADG improves to 0.783 ± 0.221. The ADG of the wether lambs (n=24) was intermediate at 0.846 ± 0.163 lb/d.

For the entire 70 days of the project, the lambs have gained an average of 42.0 ± 6.5 lbs. Gain has ranged from 21.2 to 57.7 lbs. per lamb. ADG has ranged from 0.303 to 0.824 lb/d and averaged 0.601
± 0.093 lb/d. So far, the highest ADG belongs to the short scrotum ram lambs: 0.645
± 0.067 lb/d. 

The ram lambs and wethers are gaining similarly: 0.586 ± 0.105 lb/d and 0.584 ± 0.092 lb/d. The intact ram and short scrotum rams are now similar in size (101.6 ± 16.2 and 101.4 lbs ± 9 lbs), while the wethers are almost 6 lbs. lighter at 95.9 ± 10.9 lbs.

Sex	No.	ADG -5th period	70 d ADG
Ram	19	0.726 ± 0.328	0.582 ± 0.104
Wether	24	0.846 ± 0.163	0.584  ± 0.092
Short scrotum	17	1.002 ± 0.178	0.645  ± 0.067
ALL	60	0.852 ± 0.252	0.601 ± 0.093