author(s)
MVAN Suryanarayana, P Kavitha and S Durga

abstract
Feed restriction is becoming forceful nowadays owing to a shortage in green vegetation during off seasons. There are other incidences wherein the feed restriction is adopted during lean seasons and making the animals recouped thereafter. Feeding of those animals between the feed restriction and recoupment period is becoming a challenge for the livestock producers. The objective of this article is to bring the effects of feed restriction at variable levels and the rapid recovery made during re-alimentation process. The process of recoupment in body weight and other parameters after considerable period of feed restriction is called as compensatory growth. Compensatory growth is manifested by the ability of the animal to outgain their better counterparts when given good quality ad-libitum after a period of underfeeding. Compensatory growth is associated with an increased feed intake and increased efficiency of nutrient utilization and also with change in the body composition. The body maintenance energy requirements will be usually low during feed restriction and increases slowly to the new feeding regime that is practiced in re-alimentation. The digestibility of the nutrients will be affected and this will be higher during feed restriction as the feed is retained for more time in the rumen. Decreased maintenance cost increased feed intake and increased efficiency of growth and inherited genetic background along with the increased feedload have been assessed as the key mechanism in the phenomenon of compensatory growth. The visceral organs and liver in special is also affected by compensatory growth. It is concluded that feed restriction and re-alimentation has a considerable effect on serum biochemical parameters, carcass traits and growth performance, nutrient digestibility duly reducing the cost per kg gain and cost of production in sheep. A feed restriction upto 30% of the ad-libitum feeding can be taken up without affecting the performance of the animal.