Keskin, MSahin, ABiçer, OGül, S2024-09-182024-09-1820040168-15911872-9045https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2003.09.002https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12483/8112This study was carried out to compare behavioural activities of Awassi lambs in cafeteria feeding system with conventional feeding (control) that animals fed concentrate. Sixteen, 3-month-old male lambs were housed individually for 42 days. The main effect was on the feeding systems, cafeteria and control. Cafeteria lambs (n = 8) were offered the main ingredients (barley, cotton seed meal (CSM), wheat bran and alfalfa straw), while control animals (n = 8) were fed a single diet (48% barley, 22% cottonseed meal, 18% wheat bran, 10% alfalfa and 2% vitamin-mineral mixture; having 2467 Kcal ME and 161 g kg(-1)) with the same main ingredients with slightly higher nutrient content for growth. Food and water intakes were recorded daily, while behavioural observations were recorded twice a week for a period of I h at 5 min intervals at 13:00, 16:00, 19:00, 22:00, 01:00, 04:00, 07:00 and 10:00 h after the initiation of daily feeding. After every 5 min, each lamb was monitored to determine its eating, ruminating, drinking, walking, standing, playing, resting and other activities. Cafeteria lambs selected a diet that matched their growth requirement as did control lambs. However, cafeteria lambs ate more (P < 0.01). Cafeteria animals preferred cotton seed meal (42.4%) to barley (32.9%) without changing their water intake, final live weight and daily gain (P > 0.05). Cafeteria lambs also had higher rates of eating (22% versus 19%, P < 0.01), ruminating (24% versus 23%, P > 0.05) and resting (29% versus 23%, P < 0.01) than the control lambs. On the other hand, cafeteria lambs spent less time standing (19% versus 25%, P < 0.01) and walking (1.5% versus 2.1%, P < 0.01) compared with control animals. In conclusion, cafeteria lambs selected a diet that matched their presumed biological (behavioral and nutritional) needs without changing their growth performance. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccessbehaviourlambcafeteria feedingArticle851-2576410.1016/j.applanim.2003.09.0022-s2.0-0347662513Q1WOS:000187741100005Q1