Blood biochemical profile of lambs maintained under different system of feeding management

The reported experiment was conducted on growing lambs maintained under extensive range management (G1), grazing with supplementation (G2) and intensive feeding (G3) to screen blood picture to serve as indicator of their metabolic profile. The blood glucose concentration was higher (P<0.01) in G2 (55.2 mg %) and G3 (52.8 mg %) than G1 (47.6 mg %) system of feeding management and higher (P<0.01) in pre experiment than other monthly intervals of bleeding. The blood glucose concentration decreased from pre experiment to third month by 25% in G1 while the corresponding decreased in G2 and G3 was 19 and 11%, respectively. The total protein, albumin, globulin and A/G ratio were similar in the three groups. Lowest (P<0.01) value of total protein was recorded in first month while higher values were recorded in second month and pre experiment, more so in third month of the experiment. Highest (P<0.01) value in albumin was recorded in pre experiment while it was lower in other bleeding intervals globulin concentration during the monthly intervals followed a trend reverse to that of albumin. The A/G ratio was wider (P<0.01) in pre experiment and first month (1: 1.5) while it was narrower in second month (1: 1.25), more so during third month (1: 0.87) of the experiment. Highest (P<0.01) value of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) was recorded in G1 (16.96 mg %) while lowest value was recorded in G3 (13.58 mg %) and intermediary response was recorded in G2 (15.40 mg %) system. Likewise the peak value of BUN was recorded in pre experiment recording (17.58 mg %), which decreased (P<0.01) by first month (13.24 mg %) and again increased in second (14.97 mg %) and third month (15.47 mg %) of the experiment.

It is concluded from the blood profile that the lambs under grazing with supplementation and intensive feeding receiving concentrate supplementation had higher blood glucose and lower BUN values indicating their relatively better metabolic profile than the lambs under extensive range management.