Vol. 11, Issue 12 (2022)

A study was conducted using 18 weaner ram lambs to study the effect of Azolla pinnata supplementation on growth characteristics of lambs reared under grazing based production system of Mahbubnagar district of Telangana state. Duration of experimental feeding was 120 days. Azolla, the super plant with high protein and nutritive value may meet the nutritional demand of Deccani sheep and may help in gaining optimum body weight at an early age in grazing system of management. Azolla was cultivated in pits, harvested every week, and shade dried. The lambs were divided in to three experimental groups i.e., T1, T2 and T3 with six lambs in each group, such that average group weights were uniform. T1 group was control with no azolla supplementation while in T2 and T3, azolla was supplemented at the rate of 10 and 20% of dry matter intake, respectively. The study revealed that the cumulative weight gains over a period of 4 months were 8.47±0.12 kg, 10.76±0.09 kg and 13.04±0.07 kg in Deccani ram lambs fed 0, 10 and 20% of azolla on dry matter requirement basis, respectively, and the difference between the groups were significant (p < 0.01). The average daily gain in ram lambs fed with 0, 10 and 20% of azolla on dry matter requirement basis was 70.57±1.59, 89.67±1.27 and 108.62±3.56 g, respectively. The study revealed that the supplementation of dried azolla meal upto 20% produce higher body weights at early age which is a good indication for early slaughter age.