Mineral Requirements of Hair Sheep in Tropical Climates

This study evaluated the mineral requirements for hair growth in Morada Nova lambs in tropical climates, focusing on calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, and potassium. The experiment involved 48 lambs with an average body weight of 12.05 kg, and diets with varying levels of metabolizable energy. The study found that the net macromineral requirements for weight gain in these lambs differed from the commonly recommended values by the Agricultural and Food Research Council. Specifically, the requirements ranged from 0.73 to 0.71 g of calcium, 0.51 to 0.49 g of phosphorus, 0.026 g of magnesium, 0.16 to 0.19 g of sodium, and 0.15 to 0.13 g of potassium per day for lambs with body weights between 15 and 30 kg and a daily gain of 100 g.