Vol. 10, Issue 7, Part B (2025)

Author(s): Krishnaji Rathod, Guruprasad R, Jaishankar N, Shivakumar MC and Vinuthan MK

Abstract: The study was conducted to record certain behavioural traits and growth performance of Hassan breed lambs reared on different bedding materials under intensive system. Eighteen, grower lambs of either sex aged between 3-6 months were selected and allotted to three groups with six replications in each group and reared intensively on three different bedding materials i.e. crushed maize cob (G I), ragi straw (G II) and soil/mud (G III) for three months. Feed and water were offered as per the requirement (ICAR, 2013). General behavioural attributes of lambs in different groups like resting, standing, walking and feeding were recorded using a CCTV and fortnightly recordings were analysed and instantaneous videos with five minutes intervals were used to construct an ethogram. All the experimental animals were weighed at fortnightly interval and the Average Daily Gain (ADG) recorded was 56.32±9.46, 58.32±11.03 and 66.66±16.66 g in G I, G II and G III, respectively. Statistical analysis of the data revealed that the mean percentage of total time spent on resting, standing, walking, feeding, the body weight gain and ADG did not differ significantly (p>0.05) between the groups. However, the study showed that more comfort was evinced by lambs of G II.