ABSTRACT
This research aims to assess the production and oxidative stress reactions of lambs fed in a specially designed cage for creep feeding. For this purpose, the Akkaraman lambs (n = 60) were separated into four groups (15 individuals by two sexes and two groups), and all were fed the same ration. On the days that all the data was collected, the lambs were precisely 20, 34, 48, and 62 days old. The study included collecting data on body weights, body measures, and saliva samples from lambs. When the change in body weight was investigated, the results indicated that the differences between caged creep and control feeding groups (P = 0.343) and among the groupings concerning gender (P = 0.735) were insignificant. The importance levels of change differences in body measurements based on feeding methods and gender are withers height: P = 0.003, P = 0.198; body length: P < 0.001, P = 0.394; pectoral chest width: P = 0.030, P = 0.906; chest depth: P < 0.001, P = 0.741; chest circumference: P = 0.093, P = 0.529; back length: P = 0.221, P = 0.935; head length: P = 0.004, P = 0.072 and head width: P = 0.112, P = 0.617 calculated. The study's saliva samples, the effects were examined, and significant differences in Malondialdehyde (P = 0.014), superoxide dismutase (P = 0.029), catalase (P < 0.001), and glutathione s-transferase (P = 0.001) were discovered between control feeding and caged creep feeding methods. In ischemia-modified albumin (P > 0.05), the difference between the groups was insignificant. According to these findings, caged creep feeding systems are preferable for achieving faster growth rates in Akkaraman lambs; however, caged creep feeding techniques in bigger areas with longer periods are considered better for welfare conditions.
ABSTRACT
This study aimed to determine the effect of conventional and creep-feeding methods on growth performance and oxidative stress in Akkaraman (AKK) lambs. For this purpose, the AKK lambs (n = 60) used in this study were divided into four groups (15 n × 2 sex × 2 feeding methods), and all of them were fed the same ration. In the conventional feeding method, the lambs were taken to their dams for suckling twice a day and then kept in a separate compartment for further feeding. In contrast, in the creep-feeding method, the lambs always stayed with their mothers and had free access to supplementary feed by passing through the creep-feeding area. The data for body weights, body measurements, and saliva samples were collected five times, 14 days apart, to evaluate lambs' growth performance and oxidative stress markers. The results showed a higher (P < 0.05) body weight gain in the creep-fed group than in the conventional-fed group. The difference between creep and conventional feeding was significant (P = 0.033), but the difference between the groups in terms of gender was nonsignificant (P = 0.438). The males fed with the creep-feeding (CR-M) group had the largest body length (BL), pectoral chest width (PCW), chest depth (CD), chest circumference (CC), head length (HL), and head width (HW) measurements. The males fed with the conventional feeding (CO-M) group had the largest wither height (WH) measurement, and females fed with the conventional feeding (CO-F) group had the largest back length (BAL) body size. When the overall improvement in body measurements was considered, it was determined that the body sizes of many males in creep-feeding increased more than those of other feeding groups. The oxidative stress marker malondialdehyde (MDA) was higher (P < 0.001) in the conventional feeding group. Other oxidative stress markers, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione s-transferase (GSH-ST), were higher in the creep-feeding group (P < 0.001). Considering these findings, it is possible to conclude that creep-feeding is superior to conventional feeding to get a higher growth rate and reduce oxidative stress in AKK lambs.
