本研究选取60只健康状况良好、体重（22.68±2.56 kg）相近的雄性小尾寒羊断奶羔羊，采用完全随机区组试验设计，将60只羔羊随机分为4组，每组15只。DOW替代精料的比例分别为0% (对照组, CON)、 10%（DOW1）、 15%（DOW2）和20%（DOW3）。饲养期共63 d，预试期15 d，正试期48 d，进行羔羊生长性能、血液指标、瘤胃发酵参数和瘤胃微生物菌群的测定。结果表明，DOW2组羔羊的干物质（DMI）摄入量显著高于其他组（P<0.05）。日增重 (ADG) 随着DOW替代精料比例的增加而呈线性增加或二次效应变化（P<0.05），DOW2组羔羊的ADG较对照组更高（P<0.05）。随着DOW替代精料比例的增加，羔羊血浆GH、IGF-1和Insulin的浓度（P<0.05）呈现线性提高或二次效应变化（P<0.05）， 且DOW2组血浆激素含量显著高于对照组。随着DOW替代精料比例的增加，血浆尿素氮（BUN）的浓度（P<0.05）呈线性降低和二次效应变化。DOW替代精料可有效的调节瘤胃代谢及菌群变化。随着DOW替代精料比例的增加，瘤胃NH₃-N的浓度在饲喂后0 h、4 h和8 h呈线性降低（P<0.05），在0 h和4 h时呈二次效应变化（P<0.05）；在饲喂后0 h和4 h后总挥发性脂肪酸（TVFAs）含量呈线性增加（P<0.05）；在饲喂0 h乙酸的含量呈线性增加（P<0.05），饲喂后4 h和8 h时呈二次效应变化（P<0.05）；丙酸的含量在饲喂0 h，4 h和8 h时呈线性降低，乙酸/丙酸比例在0 h，4 h和8 h均呈线性增加（P<0.05）。DOW2组瘤胃中厚壁菌门（Firmicutes）、琥珀酸菌属（Succiniclasticum）和反刍菌属（Ruminococcus_1）的相对丰度显著高于对照组，同时去铁杆菌门（Deferribacteres）、肠杆菌属（Intestinimonas）和反胃梭菌属（Ruminiclostridium）相对丰度显著低于对照组（P<0.05）。综上所述，麻山药下脚料可改善饲料适口性，增加DMI，进而调控瘤胃微生物菌群变化，提高瘤胃发酵效率，促进羔羊生长，在本试验条件下，综合生长性能、血液指标及瘤胃发酵参数，麻山药下脚料的适宜添加比例为15%。本试验首次对麻山药下脚料作为饲料原料对羔羊生长性能及瘤胃发酵参数进行了研究，为降低养殖成本，提高养殖效益，同时对农业废弃物的饲料化利用提供了思路。

微生物在胃肠道发育早期的定植和演替过程对于宿主免疫系统的发育十分重要。本试验以湖羊为研究对象，选择10只初生湖羊母羔（2.87 ± 0.28 kg），利用16S rDNA测序手段，测定0,3,10,20,30,45,60,90,120日龄羔羊粪便细菌区系，探究羔羊从出生至120日龄，体重、血清指标和粪便细菌群落的动态变化，及三者之间的关系。研究结果表明，羔羊生长性能、血清指标、粪便细菌群落和粪便细菌功能均受羔羊日龄的影响(P<0.05)。羔羊平均日增重在60-90日龄时最低(P<0.05)，可能是断奶应激造成。羔羊的免疫反应在30日龄时最高，此时羔羊血清中免疫球蛋白（免疫球蛋白A，免疫球蛋白G，免疫球蛋白M）、细胞因子（白细胞介素-1β，白细胞介素-6，白细胞介素-12、白细胞介素-17、肿瘤坏死因子-α）和肠道通透性指标（D-乳酸和内毒素）水平高于其它日龄组(P<0.05)。各日龄组内粪便细菌群落相似性分析表明，同日龄组内相似性在断奶前较低，在断奶（60日龄）后显著增加(P<0.05)。各日龄与120日龄粪便细菌群落相似性表明，30日龄后，与120日龄的相似性显著增加(P<0.05)。粪便细菌属Lachnospiraceae UCG-010, Eubacterium coprostanoligenes group, Ruminococcaceae UCG-005, Ruminococcaceae UCG-009, Ruminococcaceae UCG-013, Ruminiclostridium 6, Ruminococcaceae UCG-008和Oscillibacter与血清中内毒素、D-乳酸、免疫球蛋白（免疫球蛋白A，免疫球蛋白G，免疫球蛋白M）、细胞免疫因子（白细胞介素-1β，白细胞介素-6，白细胞介素-12和白细胞介素-17）和肿瘤坏死因子-α水平呈负相关(P<0.05)，并且这些属的相对丰度从45日龄时增加。本研究结果表明，与血清免疫指标相关属的相对丰度从45日龄起随羔羊年龄增加，羔羊出生至45日龄可能存在关键调控时期，为调控羔羊微生物以提高羔羊免疫性能提供机会。本研究分析比较了羔羊初生至120日龄，粪便细菌建立过程及其与羔羊体重和血清免疫指标的关系，分析发现了调控羔羊微生物区系的关键时期。

胃肠道真菌群落对于动物的健康和生长性能十分重要，但目前其在消化道内的定植过程尚不清楚。本研究目的是探究生长羔羊从出生至四月龄胃肠道真菌群落的发育规律。本实验选择10只初生湖羊母羔（2.87 ± 0.28 kg）作为实验动物，利用IT1S rDNA测序手段，测定0,3,10,20,30,45,60,90,120日龄羔羊瘤胃和直肠内容物真菌区系，联合随机森林分析，探究10只湖羊母羔从出生至4月龄瘤胃和直肠真菌群落的动态变化，确定真菌区系在胃肠道的建立过程。结果表明，随着羔羊日龄的增加，胃肠道真菌群落的组成、多样性和菌群丰度受到显著影响(P<0.05)。在门水平上，Ascomycota和Basidiomycota在瘤胃和直肠样品中均占主导地位。各日龄组内瘤胃真菌群落相似性在45日龄时显著增加(P<0.05)，而各日龄组内直肠真菌群落相似性在60日龄后显著增加(P<0.05)。随年龄变化的属，Acremonium, Microascus, Valsonectria, Myrmecridium, Scopulariopsis, Myrothecium, Saccharomyces 和 Stephanonectria在瘤胃和直肠中均随羔羊年龄变化而改变，说明这些真菌可能在羔羊生长发育过程中起到关键性作用，并且说明上消化道的微生物可能会对下消化道的微生物区系产生影响。主坐标分析结果表示，瘤胃和直肠真菌群落存在显著差异(P<0.05)。本研究表明，真菌群落在胃肠道演替过程可以分为三个阶段：定植阶段（0-10日龄），过渡阶段（10-45日龄），和相对稳定的逐渐成熟阶段（45-120日龄）。本实验结果表明，羔羊的年龄和胃肠道的不同部位均会影响真菌群落组成，为真菌在羔羊早期生长发育过程的调控奠定理论基础。本研究较全面的比较分析了120日龄之前，湖羊羔羊胃肠道真菌建立过程和此过程中逐步行使主导作用的优势菌群，分析发现了不同日龄阶段胃肠道真菌结构的特征。

Two feeding patterns of the segregated weaning or grazing in the pasture are carried out worldwide in animal production. To investigate the difference of growth performance and rumen microorganism population related to methane metabolism in the two feeding patterns, three groups of lambs (70 in total) were used: Weaning at 21 days old and being subjected to high-concentration diets (3WK group with 20 lambs), weaning at 35 days old and being subjected to high-concentration diets (5WK group with 20 lambs), or grazing at pasture with the nursing mother (Grazing group with 30 lambs). The growth performance, pH value of rumen content, and the rumen microbes were investigated during weaning period and fattening period with approximately 3 months. Our results showed that lambs in 3WK and 5WK groups demonstrated a better growth performance than the lambs in Grazing group, but no significant difference was observed in the pH value between the three groups (P>0.05). The total rumen bacterial population of the Grazing lambs was significantly lower than that of 3WK lambs (P<0.05) and 5WK lambs (P<0.05); however, the population of methanogens was 4.2- and 2.7-fold lower in the 3wk (P<0.05) and 5wk (P<0.05) lambs compared with Grazing lambs, respectively; protozoa were also 3.5- and 3.4-fold lower in the 3WK (P<0.05) and 5WK (P<0.05) lambs, respectively. The results revealed that segregated weaning lambs may have better growth performance, and reduce methane-producing microbes.

A comparative slaughter trial was conducted to determine the net mineral requirements for maintenance and growth of Dorper crossbred female lambs raised from 20 to 35 kg of body weight (BW). Thirty-five Dorper×thin-tailed Han crossbred female lambs of (20.3±1.14) kg BW were used: 7 lambs were randomly chosen and slaughtered at the beginning of the experiment as the baseline group for measuring the initial body composition; another 7 lambs were randomly chosen and offered a pelleted mixed diet ad libitum and slaughtered at (27.0±0.73) kg BW; the remaining 21 lambs were randomly divided into 3 groups of 7 animals each and subjected to the same diet either ad libitum or at 70 or 40% of ad libitum intake. The 21 lambs were fed in 7 slaughter groups, with each group consisting of one lamb from each treatment (ad libitum, 70 or 40% of ad libitum intake). The 3 groups were slaughtered when the sheep fed ad libitum attained (33.8±0.52) kg of BW. The body composition of five minerals (Ca, P, Na, K, and Mg) was determined. The net mineral requirements for maintenance were 35.01, 25.18, 9.30, 31.35, and 2.03 mg kg–1 empty BW (EBW) for Ca, P, Na, K, and Mg, respectively, and the net growth requirement per kg of EBW gain ranged from 9.73 to 8.87 g of Ca, 5.83 to 5.27 g of P, 1.73 to 1.63 g of Na, 3.73 to 4.08 g of K, and 0.26 to 0.25 g of Mg for Dorper crossbred lambs in China, respectively. The estimates of mineral requirements with Dorper crossbred lambs in the current study were not consistent with the recommendations from previous studies.

This experiment was conducted to investigate the energy requirement of Dorper×thin-tailed Han crossbred ewes during non-pregnancy and lactation. Fifteen ewes after parturition were randomly assigned to three treatments: ad libitum (100%) feed intake and 80 or 60% ad libitum intake, and another nine non-pregnant ewes were assigned to a blank control group. Digestibility trials were performed in the non-pregnant ewes and in the lactating ewes on the 20th, 50th, and 80th d of lactation. In parallel with the digestibility trial, a respirometry experiment was conducted to determine the methane and carbon dioxide production with an open-circuit respirometry system that was equipped with respiratory chambers. The net energy (NE) and metabolizable energy (ME) requirements for maintenance and growth were calculated using the carbon and nitrogen balance method. The results revealed that the carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) excretions and energy losses at faeces and urine, as well as the output of methane and CO2, increased significantly with decreasing feed intake (P<0.01). The apparent digestibilities of C in the stages of non-pregnancy and early, middle and late lactation were 55.8–58.3%, 62.5–73.8%, 64.8– 71.3%, and 61.7–65.0%, respectively, and the apparent digestibilities of N were 45.2–51.3%, 73.7–82.7%, 72.8–80.5%, and 73.6–76.5%, respectively. The corresponding energy apparent digestibilities were 52.0–56.3%, 60.7–76.6%, 61.0–68.8%, and 61.4–67.7%, respectively. The ME/DE (digestible energy) values were 79.5–85.9%, 79.4–83.5%, 81.0%–85.3% and 78.6–82.9%, respectively. The maintenance requirements of NE, ME, and the efficiencies of ME utilisation for maintenance during the stages of non-pregnancy and early, middle and late lactation were 215.5, 253.1, 247.7, and 244.7 kJ kg–1 BW0.75 d, and 372.4, 327.1, 320.9, and 362.0 kJ kg–1 BW0.75 d, and 0.58, 0.77, 0.77, and 0.68, respectively. The ME requirement for the growth of non-pregnant ewes was 31.3 MJ kg–1 BW gain.