TY - JOUR T1 - Effect of Either Once or Twice Daily Feeding of Pelleted High-Concentrate Diet on Performance and Digestion in Growing Lambs AU - Abouheif, M.A. AU - Al-Saiady, M.Y. AU - Aziz Makkawi, A. AU - Ibrahim, Hafiz A. AU - Kraidees, M.S. JO - Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances VL - 9 IS - 5 SP - 925 EP - 931 PY - 2010 DA - 2001/08/19 SN - 1680-5593 DO - javaa.2010.925.931 UR - https://makhillpublications.co/view-article.php?doi=javaa.2010.925.931 KW - Feeding frequency KW -lambs KW -performance KW -digestibility KW -carcass KW -ruminal fermentation AB - Twenty-four Najdi ram lambs, weighing an average of 24 kg and circa 3 months old were utilized in this trial to evaluate the effect of two feeding frequencies on growth performance, carcass characteristics, digestion coefficients, nitrogen retention and ruminal VFA and ammonia-N concentrations. The feeding protocol involved once daily feeding at 0800 h and twice daily feeding in two equal portions at 08:00 and 15:00 h lambs were offered a sufficient quantity of total daily DM (95 g DM day-1 w0.75) to resemble ad libitum consumption. All lambs were slaughtered after a 14 week feeding trial. Although, the results showed no significant effect of frequency of feeding on DMI, ADG, carcass weight, digestibility of DM, CP and ADF and N-retention, lambs fed one meal daily had higher (p<0.05) gain efficiency and NDF digestibility and lower (p<0.05) dressing percentage than lambs fed two meals daily. Rumen total VFA concentrations at all post-feeding intervals were not influenced (p>0.05) by feeding frequency, except at 10 h post-feeding; rumen VFA concentration value at 10 h post-feeding was higher (p<0.05) in lambs fed once daily than those fed twice daily. Feeding once daily resulted in a greater (p<0.05) molar proportion of propionate and a smaller (p<0.05) molar proportion of acetate than from feeding twice daily. The ruminal fluctuations in total VFA and ammonia-N concentrations were less obvious in the lambs fed twice daily than once daily. ER -