| Abstract: | In two growth experiments with 30 lambs per group the influence of urea (1-2% of the ration) and straw (20-30% of the ration) on the performance was studied under conditions of intensive fattening. The content of native crude protein in the rations varied between 10.1 and 18.4% of the DM. In experiment 1 the lambs of the two groups which received mixed feed for fattening lambs without urea on average consumed with 1.02 and 1.11 kg DM resp., 696 and 757 EFUcattle resp. and 173 and 189 g crude protein resp. per animal and day. The groups with wheat or barley and urea consumed 1.06 and 0.96 kg DM resp., 714 and 627 EFUcattle resp. and 209 and 155 g crude protein resp. Their weight gain of 247 g/animal and day was 24% and that of 230 g resp. 26% higher than that in the control groups without urea. The lowest dry matter intake (0.91 and 0.82 kg resp.) was shown by the animals of the groups which received wheat or barley without urea. In the second experiment the control group achieved an average daily weight gain of 327 g at an expenditure of 2.24 kEFUcattle/kg weight gain. Despite a partly higher dry matter intake, the daily EFUcattle intake was between 12.2 and 24.5% lower in the straw groups and energy expenditure increased between 12.0 and 27.8%. Urea supplements of between 1 and 2% improved dry matter, EFUcattle and crude protein intake and thus weight gain. |
