ICAR- NIANP introduces milk replacer supplementation for economic meat production in lambs

Growing demand for sheep meat coupled with attractive price for live-weight cost of Rs 300-350/kg in urban and peri urban areas in metros and large towns is attracting many farmers to adopt intensive feeding of sheep with better breeds and feeding. One of the major concerns is the lower body weight gains in lambs during pre-weaning phase (first 90-100 days). The low plane of nutrition during the early phase of growth in lambs reduces the immunity, increases the susceptibility to diseases resulting in lower body weight gains and high mortality. Low plane of nutrition is mainly due to limited availability of milk as our breeds of sheep have very limited ability to produce sufficient milk to promote optimum growth in lambs. This is more true in sheep having twins and triplets where dams have to support two or three lambs, simultaneously. Under field conditions even the limited ability to produce milk is not fully realized due to low plane of nutrition of the nursing sheep. This is further confounded by the limited ability of the lambs to feed and digest solid feeds during the first 60-80 days due to the underdeveloped digestive system.  All these factors contribute to the low plane of nutrition in lambs leading to poor health, susceptibility to diseases, low weight gains and mortality in extreme cases.

The technological intervention of supplementary feeding through milk replacer in lambs can address these issues ensuring optimum weight gain and health.  The milk replacer is a special supplement containing quality ingredients that are highly digestible and designed for meeting the growth and development of young nursing animals. Cost of the milk replacer is one of the major issue for its lack of adoption in the field. However with the favorable prices of sheep meat around urban and peri urban areas around major cities adoption of milk replacer becomes profitable. Multiple studies on use of milk replacer during pre-weaning phase (first 90-100 days) on research farm at ICAR- National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Bangalore had showed the effectiveness of the milk replacer in promoting the health and growth in lambs. Cost of milk replacer vis a vis the cost of prevailing market cost of Rs. 300-350/kg live weight showed that the use of milk replacer would be economical besides improving the health and growth of young lambs. To test this technology under farmers system of management, a field trial on the use of milk replacer was carried out in peri urban areas of Bangalore.

The field trial was carried out with the help of State Animal Husbandry Department, Govt. of Karnataka. Progressive farmers in the Sira taluk of Tumkur district were identified with the help of Animal Husbandry Department. The selected farmers were rearing NARI Suwarna a very popular breed known for its prolificacy with high percentage of twining where early lamb feeding is a major concern. Formulated milk replacer (at ICAR-NIANP) was given to the farmers with the instructions on its usage.

Young lambs of two to three weeks were selected and divided into two groups, control group was maintained with the routine farmers feeding practice and the treatment group was supplemented with the milk replacer at the rate of 40g/day for a period of 60 days. Both the groups were reared under the same management system. The body weights were recorded at weekly intervals. Farmers feedback on the use of the milk replacer was that the product was very good and it was quite readily accepted and the lambs took 3-4 days to get used to this and once acquainted they were readily consuming the milk replacer. Milk replacer fed lambs were active, healthy and gained higher weight than the control group. The treatment group supplemented with milk replacer had significantly higher weight gains than the control group (150 g versus 70g/day). Economics of supplementation revealed that for every kg of milk replacer supplemented, lambs gained 1.5 to 2.0 kg live weight and in terms of cost it works out to be Rs. 150/- spent through milk replacer would fetch an income of Rs. 450/- assuming an average weight gain of 1.5 kg at the rate of Rs. 300/kg, live weight. The benefit cost ratio worked out to be around 3.0.

The pilot scale testing of the milk replacer supplementation was very positive, and the farmers were very happy with the use of milk replacer supplementation. They expressed their willingness to purchase the product and were enquiring about the availability of the product on regular basis through local suppliers. Given the encouraging results, the technology needs to be popularized amongst larger number of farmers around urban and peri urban areas engaged in fattening sheep for mutton production and identify suitable agencies to produce and market the product.