Effects of maternal nutrition regimen of ewes on performance, carcass, and meat traits of their feedlot-finished lambs.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of diets with two energy levels fed to Ile de France ewes during the last third of gestation on the performance, carcass, and meat traits of their offspring. Treatments were: D0: maternal diet meeting the requirements for the last third of gestation, and D20: maternal diet containing an additional 20% energy requirements. Twenty single-born male lambs, ten from each group of ewes, were weaned at 60 d (18.3 ± 1.4 kg initial BW) and fed a common finishing diet. Animals were slaughtered when they reached 32 kg BW. Dry matter intake, average daily gain, feed conversion, and days on feed were unaffected by treatments (P≥0.09). No effects were observed on hot and cold carcass weights, dressing percentage, chilling loss, commercial cuts yields, and loin-eye area (P≥0.17). Meat pH, thawing loss, cooking loss, shear force, and water holding capacity were also not affected by treatments (P≥0.09). Temperature and meat color, as well as centesimal composition were similar between treatments (P≥0.27). Adding 20% energy on top of the requirements of Ile de France ewes during the last third of gestation does not influence the performance, carcass traits, nor meat traits of their offspring.

Crude glycerin is an efficient alternative to corn in the diet of feedlot lambs.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the intake, digestibility, nitrogen balance, and performance of feedlot lambs fed diets containing crude glycerin. A total of 30 Ile de France lambs were confined to individual pens at an average age of 45  d : 15.1  kg initial body weight and 32.2  kg final body weight. The animals were distributed in a completely randomized design and fed three diets containing fresh sugarcane as forage (50 %) and concentrate (50 %), with or without the inclusion of 100 and 200  g vegetable crude glycerin per kilogram dry matter (DM) replacing corn. Dietary glycerin inclusion reduced the intake of ether extract ( P < 0.001 ) and total carbohydrates ( P = 0.048 ) as well as the apparent digestibility of ether extract ( P < 0.001 ), but it had no effect on the intake and digestibility of the other nutrients nor on lamb performance. The apparent nitrogen balance of lambs on the three diets was positive. Although it does not affect the intake and digestibility of most nutrients, the inclusion of 100 and 200  g kg - 1 DM of crude glycerin in the diet tends to worsen lamb performance, indicating that the ideal level of inclusion should be below 100  g kg - 1 DM of crude glycerin.

Feedlot of lambs fed biodiesel co-products: performance, commercial cuts and economic evaluation.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the animal performance, commercial cuts, and their yields within the production system, and economics of sheep production, of lambs finished in feedlots and fed with or without biodiesel co-products. A total of 40 lambs were divided into four biodiesel co-product treatment groups: a no-treatment control; peanut meal; crude glycerin; and peanut meal + crude glycerin. Animal performance did not differ (P > 0.05) among the treatment groups, where the average daily gain was close to 0.26 kg/day. Likewise, the quantitative carcass characteristics did not differ (P > 0.05) and the biological mean yield was 54.92%. Similarly, the commercial cuts and their yields did not differ (P ≥ 0.09) among the treatments. These results took into consideration the standard, age, and slaughter body weight of the animals. The economic evaluation determined that peanut meal was the best co-product for use in finishing lambs in a feedlot. Hence, all the biodiesel co-products evaluated can be used at feedlots to finish lambs without changing the variables measured.