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The aim of the research was to evaluate the productive and reproductive performances of ewes as a function of the supplementation offered to suckling lambs. The lambs were divided into two experimental treatments. Treatment (1) suckling lambs kept in pastures of Brachiaria-grass receiving mineral supplementation; and treatment (2) suckling lambs kept in pastures of Brachiaria-grass receiving concentrate supplementation in creep-feeding. Regardless of the nutritional treatment offered to the lambs, all matrices (female lambs and ewes) received 350 g of supplementation daily. Ewes from treatment-1 presented average 49 days to return to estrus. Ewes from treatment-2 presented, on average, 36 days to return to estrus. The body condition score (BCS) at weaning showed a significant difference between treatments. Ewes from treatment-1 presented a mean BCS of 1.75. Ewes from treatment-2 presented a mean BCS of 2.39. The other productive variables of lambs, such as weaning weight (kg), age at weaning (days), total weight gain (kg), and average daily gain of lambs, presented a significant difference between the nutritional treatments. Variables such as return to estrus and BCS were positively influenced by supplementation offered to lambs, which directly impacts the production efficiency and profitability of the production system. The lamb supplementation promotes indirect gains in the body condition score of ewes at weaning and, consequently, in the time to return of estrus in 13 days. Protein-energy supplementation in creep feeding to suckling lambs is recommended to improve the body condition score at weaning and decrease the return to estrus (days) of ewes. This nutritional tool is recommended to improve the supply of leaves and provide the best conditions for the selection and use of nutrients present in the leaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the assumption that the time required by the lamb to reach a certain weight at slaughter (slaughter weight) is partially dependent on the amount of milk ingested during suckling, and on the dietary management of the sheep and lamb. Our study proposes to examine the effects of the weaning system on the productive and reproductive performance of ewes supplemented with creep-feeding during grazing on Marandu pastures with their lambs and weaned at two different ages (60 and 90 days). Ewes were divided into two treatment groups (weaning ages) according to birth type (single or twin), in two consecutive years. The experimental period was the time from lambing to weaning. Data were evaluated by analysis of variance and means were compared by Tukey's test at the 0.05 significance level. There was no effect of year of observation on the parameters measured. Ewes did not show any differences in age and weight at lambing, weight at weaning, weight change, or time return to estrus. The average weight loss was 6 kg and the average time to return to estrus was 49 days. The highest averages for weaning weight (23.25 kg) and total weight gain (19.37 kg) of lambs, and lamb weight-to-ewe weight ratio (51.84%) were observed in weaning at 90 days of age. Body condition score and worm egg count per gram of feces of ewes were not affected by the treatments. The reproductive and productive performance of sheep on tropical pastures is not affected by the weaning system. It is recommended to conduct weaning at 90 days to obtain a better performance of lambs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to identify the best green-leaf offerings of Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu for pasture-finished lambs receiving protein-energy supplementation at the rate of 1.6% of their body weights (BW). The animals were assigned into four treatments, which consisted of varied green-leaf offerings, namely, 105, 90, 75, or 60 g of dry matter/kg of body weight (BW). Sixty-eight contemporary Texel × mixed-breed lambs with an average initial BW of 22.6 kg were used over two years of experiment. The experiment was set up in a completely randomized design, the data were evaluated by analysis of variance and the means were compared by Tukey's test at the 0.05 significance level. There was no significant effect of year neither interaction of year with green-leaf offer. There were significant effects of leaf offer on dry matter intake (DMI) with behavior of positively linear (p<0.05). There were significant effects of green-leaf offer on final BW and average daily gain, and lambs receiving of 75 g/kg green-leaf offer showed the highest ADG (179 g/d). There were no significant differences in the carcass, meat, and primal cuts between the groups of lambs receiving different herbage offerings. There were significant effects of leaf offer on slaughter weight, hot carcass weight, and subcutaneous fat thickness. Lambs receiving of 75 g/kg leaf offer showed the highest SFT (5.8 mm). Slaughter weight and hot carcass weight averaged 41.52 kg and 20.07 kg, respectively. We recommend the treatment with leaves offer of 75 g/kg BW of Marandu pasture for the finishing of lambs supplemented at 1.6% of BW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]