AS-367 June 1967
In 1958, Purdue University developed a complete pellet for self-feeding lambs (Perry, Beeson and Harper, 1958). This was probably the first real "breakthrough" in lamb feeding and even today this pellet is producing phenomenal results in many phases of sheep and lamb feeding.
This pellet has been named the "58" pellet for the year in which it was developed. The original composition is given in Table 1.
Table 1. Composition of original "58" pellet
a/ Cobalt added to the iodized salt at the rate of 1 oz. of cobalt carbonate/100 lb. salt
b/ Vitamin A and D concentrate originally gave 1700 units of vitamin A and 212 units of vitamin D per pound of ration
In recent mixtures, the vitamin concentrate has been strengthened to give 2000 units of vitamin A/lb. of ration and trace mineralized salt is used to supply the cobalt.
The original pellet was developed primarily for use with feeder lambs and was believed by the original authors to have the following advantages: (1) permits self-feeding (2) eliminates hazards of bringing lambs to a full feed since lambs are on full feed the first day (3) results in increased gains (4) well adapted to automation (5) eliminates sorting of feeds and nutrients (6) permits the simultaneous feeding of a balanced ration (7) allows proper ratio of grain to roughage ration (8) cuts down or eliminates digestive disorders and overeating disease.
Considerable research has been done at Purdue on the modifications of the 58 pellet. At the time the pellet was developed Perry, Beeson and Harper (1958) tested the following modifications: (1) 7.5 per cent yellow grease, (2) 10 per cent cane sugar, (3) 10 per cent cane sugar plus 7.5 per cent yellow grease, (4) replacing soybean meal with an equivalent amount of protein from dried skim milk, and (5) replacing soybean meal with an equivalent amount of protein from 60 per cent Menhaden fish meal. None of the above ingredients tested improved the performance of the lambs over the original formula either in rate of gain or efficiency of feed utilization.
In 1959 a ratio of 60 per cent roughage and 40 per cent concentrate was compared to a ratio of 40 per cent roughage and 60 per cent concentrate (Perry, et al., 1959). Feeder lambs averaging 75 pounds on the high roughage pellet gained 14 per cent more rapidly than those on the low roughage pellet. The high roughage ratio is similar to that in the original formula which contains
Cooperative Extension Service, PURDUE UNIVERSITY, Lafayette, Indiana


Purdue 58 Lamb Pellet
J.B.  Outhouse and T.W. Perry —Department of Animal Sciences