Causes and Solutions for Slow Growth in Meat Sheep
The causes and solutions for slow growth in meat sheep are provided by the 5830 Agriculture Website Directory:
1. Removal of Parasites
Parasites not only consume a large amount of nutrition from sheep but also secrete toxins that damage the digestive system function of the sheep. Therefore, deworming is necessary. Use an effective deworming drug such as levamisole at a dosage of 8 mg per kg of body weight, dissolved in warm water to make a 5% solution for intramuscular injection, which can remove various types of roundworms and nematodes from the sheep's body; simultaneously use dichlorophenyl sulfone at a dosage of 80 mg per kg of body weight, mixed with a small amount of flour and 250 ml of water, administered orally on an empty stomach before feeding, or use albendazole at a dosage of 15 mg per kg of body weight dissolved in water for oral administration, which can remove liver flukes and tapeworms, ensuring vigorous physiological functions during the fattening period.
2. Scientific Feed Formulation
To provide sufficient nutrition for fattening sheep and ensure a basic balance of various nutrients, allowing the sheep to grow rapidly. Here are two practical feed formulations:
1. Cornmeal 50%, soybean meal 15%, wheat bran 20%, rice bran 15%, combined with hay for free grazing.
2. Cornmeal 45%, rice bran 20%, soybean meal 10%, rapeseed meal 15%, wheat bran 10%, combined with hay for free grazing.
Either of these two feed formulations can be selected for feeding. Fresh grass, dry grass, sweet potato vine leaves, and corn stalks can be used as the base diet, supplemented with compound feed. For weaned young goats aged 3 months weighing about 8 kg, when supplied with good quality dry grass, the above compound feed can be fed daily at 150 grams. As the age increases, the daily feeding amount can increase to 200 grams. To supplement protein deficiency, urea can be added to the concentrate, initially feeding 3-4 grams per day, later increasing to 5-6 grams per day. A 5-day transition period is needed for the sheep to adapt, and attention should be paid to no water intake within one hour after feeding. Rapeseed cake should be thoroughly cooked before feeding to eliminate toxic components. Additionally, add 4-5 grams of salt, 4-5 grams of bone meal or shell powder, and 8 grams of sodium sulfate. If feeding silage, add 5 grams of baking soda. Feeding according to this new technology, the daily weight gain of hybrid goats can reach 100-150 grams, reaching a weight of 18-25 kilograms at 6 months of age, which is more than twice the growth rate compared to traditional extensive breeding methods.
If feeding lactating goats, the aforementioned compound feed can be fed daily at 300-350 grams, with urea added up to 8-10 grams and salt up to 8-10 grams. This method increases milk secretion. Lambs start practicing eating grass and feed from 20 days old, achieving a daily weight gain of over 100 grams.
The aforementioned formula feed is designed for confined sheep. For sheep grazing outdoors during the peak season of green grass, the amount of compound feed can be reduced by 50%. However, regardless of how abundant the grass is, evening supplementation is still necessary. Only in this way can the rapid growth of fattening sheep be ensured.
3. Promoting Crossbreeding in Sheep
It is necessary to introduce large-bodied, high-meat-performance sheep breeds for crossbreeding with local goats to reproduce a large number of hybrid goats for farmers to raise. Hybrid goats grow faster and have stronger disease resistance, laying the foundation for weight gain.
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(Responsible Editor: 5830 Agriculture Website Directory)