Feed model to predict lamb performance

UNDERSTANDING WHAT affects energy intake in lambs, based on their fatness, will help ensure they are fed more accurately in a feed model being developed at SAC.

Bert Tolkamp of SAC Edinburgh said that last year the college reported research which showed designing a diet for lambs according to condition score in addition to weight can help optimise performance. “On farm you only have weight and condition score available.”

 But to decide what you should feed based on condition score it is necessary to be able to predict intake and, therefore, energy intake accurately. However, intakes are negatively influenced by fatness of the animal, said Dr Tolkamp.

 “Fat in sheep gives a signal picked up by receptors in lean that have an effect on the lipid expression, affecting intake and energy expenditure.” The model now uses biological understanding to give a prediction of intake and performance of lambs, but more work is needed on sex and genotype effects to increase accuracy, he added.