Feeding behaviour of Massese lamb reared indoors

Massese breed is commonly reared for milk production, but is also able to produce lambs with good growth performances and muscular development. These lambs are traditionally slaughtered at around one month of age, in order to let milk available for cheese production. Lambs reared up to two months of age and with higher weight (about 20 kg) represent an innovative product for this breed, and their rearing and feeding system should be properly characterized. The aim of this work was to study the feeding behaviour of Massese lambs reared up to 65-70 days of age, in order to understand the phases and the timing of transition from milk to solid food.