Effect of Flooring Material on Body Weight and Biometry of Growing Deccani Lambs

Abstract

A study was carried to assess the effect of different flooring material on the body weight and biometry of the growing Deccani lambs in intensive farming system. Eighteen growing lambs of either sex with uniform body weight of 12.61±0.04 kg and aged between 3 to 6 months were assigned randomly to three flooring types viz., Mud floor (control, T1), Concrete floor (T2) and mud floor with rubber mats (black, rubber material, 8 mm thick (T3). The study was conducted from April 2019 to June 2019. No significant (P>0.05) difference was observed for the fortnightly body weights and total weight gain of the lambs among three treatment groups. The average daily gain was comparable among the treatment groups. The overall fortnightly biometric measurements like body length, chest girth, the height at withers and hip width of growing Deccani lambs increased linearly throughout the experimental period and showed non-significant (P>0.05) difference among the groups. It is concluded that among the flooring materials, rubber mats relatively improved the body weight and biometry of the Deccani lambs.