Journal of Animal Research

The present experiment was conducted in phased manner to observe the effect of improved nutrition and improved shelter either alone or in combination on pre and post weaning growth performance in Magra lambs. In phase-I, fifteen days old Magra lambs (n=40) born in autumn-winter season were used for growth study in a randomized block design upto the six month of age i.e. preweaning stage from 15 days to 3 months of age and thereafter post weaning stage up to 6 months of age (Season-1) at ARC-CSWRI and divided into four groups of 10 lambs in each group (T₁-T₄). In Phase-II, similar experiment was followed with the lambs born in spring-summer season (Season-II). Groups included T₁-Sole grazing with traditional shelter (tree shade); T₂-improved shelter (asbestos sheet-thatched roof/with curtains) with grazing; T₃-improved nutrition and traditional shelter and T₄-improved nutrition and improved shelter. In groups of (T₃-T₄) varying plane of nutrition was supplemented with creep mixture @1% of their body weight from 15 days of age to weaning while multinutrient mixture @1% of their body weight was provided during postweaning stage upto six month of age in both seasons. There was diurnal variation in temperature and THI during the study period, which indicated that lambs were under thermal stress during various months of trial. Environmental stress coupled with nutritional stress reduce growth rate in control group (T₁) which might be improved by provision of improved nutrition and shelter.