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.