Department of Animal Nutrition, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar-125 004, India.
1Present address: Central Avian Research Institute, Izatnagar-243 122, India.
Hisardale male lambs (n=24, 4–5 month of age) were maintained on a conventional ration for a month to equilibrate the body mineral status. Six lambs were sacrificed after one month of feeding, the samples of organs were analyzed to ascertain mineral status. The remaining 18 lambs were divided into 3 groups of 6 each on body weight basis. Three dietary treatments containing 100 (T1), 110 (T2) and 120 (T3) per cent of limiting minerals (Ca, P, S, Zn, and Mn), identified by comparison to NRC (1985), were formulated and each treatment was allotted to a group for 120 days. Blood and wool samples were collected and analyzed for different minerals at monthly intervals. The effective intake of minerals was Ca, 111 and 120, P, 110 and 122; S, 112 and 129; Zn, 112 and 126, and Mn, 109 and 124 per cent in T2 and T3, respectively, in comparison to T1 (100%). The concentrations of Ca, P and Fe in serum were higher (P < 0.01) in lambs from dietary treatments T2 and T3 than T1. On the other hand, S in serum increased with its increasing dietary level and was higher (P < 0.01) in T3 as compared to T1 and T2. Although the Ca and Mn contents in wool increased significantly (P < 0.01) in the lambs fed higher levels of minerals but there was an increase in P content in the wool of T2 only. However, different levels of minerals did not affect the wool contents of S, Zn, Cu and Fe. The dietary intake of P or S was significantly (P < 0.01) correlated with their respective concentrations in serum. A positive correlation (P < 0.05) also existed between dietary intake and concentration of serum Mn in lambs. Other elements did not show any significant correlation. Similarly, when intake was correlated with mineral contents of wool, significant correlations (P < 0.01) were achieved only for S and Mn. The concentration of serum Ca, P and Mn correlated positively (P < 0.01) with their respective contents in wool, while the concentration of S in serum was negatively correlated, (r = −0.36). The concentrations of Ca, P, S and Mn in serum and wool were highly significant. Thus, Ca, P, S and Mn concentrations of the serum can be judged by estimating these minerals in wool. Moreover, dietary intake of S and Mn could also be predicted from their concentration in wool.
Lamb, Minerals, Serum, Wool
