This work evaluated the effect of feeding frequencies on performance, ingestive behavior and carcass characteristics of fedlot lambs. Eighteen non-castrated Santa Inês crossbreed lambs, with initial live weight of 22.79 ± 4.28 kg were used in the experiment. The animals were confined for 56 days in collective pens in a slotted floor sheep barn. The animals were randomly distributed, according to the feeding frequency: once, twice and three times/day. The diet (16.7% of CP and 70.3% TDN) was the same for all groups. The average daily gain, ration consumption, feed conversion, ingestive behavior and carcass characteristics were not affected by feeding frequency. Except for leg width, the other body measurements performed on the carcass were not influenced by feeding frequency. Among non-carcass live weight components, only yield of full intestine and digestive tract content were affected, because they were smaller for animals that received one feeding daily. The increase on feeding frequencies when diets containing 16.7% CP and 70.3% TDN were offered does not affect performance, the ingestive behavior and characteristics of carcass of confined lambs. Therefore, only one feeding per day can be used.
average daily gain; confinement; etology; feeding; sheep
