Effect of feeding corn stalks and sugar beet waste silage on sheep milk yield and lamb survival

Abstract

In this study, corn stalk (CS) and sugar beet head and leaf (SBHL) silage were used to determine the effect of increasing milk yield on lambs' survival and end of fattening weight in sheep with multiple births. In the study, 17 Bafra sheep with multiple births and 38 lambs obtained from these sheep were used as animal material. The study was divided into two groups as experimental group (EG) and control group (C). The milk yields of the EG group were 293.00 g, 345.00 g and 576.39 g for the 5th, 35th and 65th days and the milk yield of the control group were 276.31 g, 236.38 g and 223.13 g for the 5th, 35th and 65th days. No statistically significant difference was found in milk yields between the EG and C groups of sheep on the 5th and 35th days, but a statistically significant difference was found in milk yields on the 65th day. Sheep weights were weighed at the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 10th, 11th and 12th weeks and sheep weights were higher in EG than in C. There was a statistical difference between EG and C in terms of roughage consumption, incremental feed amount and net amount of roughage + concentrate consumed. The birth weights of the lambs were 3.25 kg and 2.80 kg for EG and C groups, and the average live weights at the end of the study were 17.71 kg and 12.40 kg for EG and C groups. Lamb survival rates between the EG and C groups were 95.0% and 83.3%, and mortality rates were 5% and 16.7%, respectively. No statistically significant differences were found between the groups in terms of lamb survival and mortality rates. In conclusion; feeding of sheep with CS + SBHL silage after parturition increased milk yield, sheep weights, lamb live weights and lamb survival rate in Bafra sheep with multiple births.