Does the length of time dried distillers' grain with solubles substitution for soybean meal affect physiological indicators and meat quality in finishing lambs?

This study examined how inclusion of dried distillers' grains with solubles (DDGS) in finishing lamb diets for different periods affects some physiological indicators and meat quality. A total of 40 male lambs were divided into four groups according to feeding regimen during the 120-day finishing period as follows: C120: no DDGS included in diet for 120 days; D120: DDGS included in diet for 120 days; D75: no DDGS included in diet for 45 days + DDGS included in diet for 75 days; D45: no DDGS included in diet for 75 days + DDGS included in diet for 45 days. Dietary inclusion rate of DDGS was 27.5%. Fattening performance and rumen parameters were not affected by treatment. Feeding regimens had no significant effect on meat quality except the instrumental tenderness and juiciness score. DDGS fed lambs had higher level of total trans fatty acids and n-6/n-3 ratio in meat. 10t-C18:1, 11t-C18:1 and 9c,11t conjugated linoleic acid contents of adipose tissue were higher in all the DDGS groups compared with C120 lambs (p < .001). These results suggest that soybean meal can be replaced with corn DDGS in lamb diets for up to 120 days during the finishing period with no adverse effects on some physiological response feedlot performance and meat quality.

Effect of dried corn distillers' grains with solubles and soybean meal supplements on physiological indicators and reproductive performance of ewes.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of adding dried distillers' grains with solubles (DDGS) to the nutritional regimens of ewes at different time periods on reproductive traits, serum hormones and serum metabolites. In Experiment 1, 100 ewes were divided into 4 groups (n = 25) according to diet. The four diets were grass hay (H) alone (group H), H with barley (group H + B), H with DDGS for the whole feeding period (27 d) (group H + DDGS) or H and DDGS for 5 d (d 8-12 of oestrus cycle) (group H + DDGS5). Serum progesterone concentrations were affected by oestrus cycle (p < 0.001), but not by dietary treatments. However, feeding H + DDGS caused significant increases in serum insulin, leptin and growth hormone concentrations (p < 0.05). In Experiment 2, 30 ewes were divided into 2 groups (n = 15), receiving DDGS or soybean meal (SBM) during the prepartum period. Diets had no significant effect on weights of dams or lambs at birth; however, the weaning weights of lambs born from ewes of group DDGS were significantly higher (p < 0.05). Moreover, serum glucose, blood urea nitrogen, triglyceride and beta hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA) concentrations during the prepartum period were affected by dietary treatments and by time (p < 0.001). During the prepartum period, BHBA concentrations of ewes fed SBM were higher, while BHBA levels decreased during the last weeks of pregnancy regardless of diet. Lamb serum immunoglobulin G concentrations increased from 1 h to 24 h after birth (p < 0.001). Colostrum of ewes fed SBM had higher fat-free dry matter (DM) and protein contents in comparison to colostrum of ewes fed DDGS (p < 0.05). In conclusion, DDGS can be included as protein source in pregnancy rations up to 15% of DM to obtain reproductive performance outcomes equal to or exceeding those obtained with SBM.

Effects of pre-slaughter diet/management system and fasting period on physiological indicators and meat quality traits of lambs.

This study determined the effects of pre-slaughter diet/management system on blood and rumen parameters and meat-quality traits of Norduz lambs. Eighty lambs were divided into two groups according to diet (AH: alfalfa hay; BAH: alfalfa supplemented with 500 g/head barley) for 21 days. Following this period, lambs from each group were distributed among four groups according to pre-slaughter fasting period as 0, 12, 24 or 48 h. Cortisol concentrations were found to be significantly higher in the 24 h and 48 h groups when compared to the 0 h group (p<0.01). Diet and fasting period had limited effect on muscle glycogen content and ultimate pH·L*, WHC and moisture decreased in line with increases in the fasting period (p<0.01). In conclusion, carcass conformation and some meat quality traits were better in BAH lambs. Fasting had a negative effect on some meat quality parameters, with significant increases in some physiological stress indicators after fasting periods of 24 h or longer.

Effect of different housing systems on fattening performance, slaughter and carcass characteristics of Akkeçi (White Goat) male kids.

The aim of this study was to determine the fattening performance and the slaughter and carcass characteristics of Akkeçi (Saanen × Kilis (B(1)) crossbred) male kids raised in individual crates (IC) or in group pen housing (GP). In both GP and IC groups, total 13 heads of male kids, whose initial body weights were 21.43 ± 1.03 kg and 20.61 ± 0.98 kg, respectively, evaluated for their fattening performances. After 56 days of the fattening period, the final body weights and average daily weight gains of the GP and IC kids were recorded as 30.84 ± 0.82 kg and 25.84 ± 0.76 kg; 182.42 ± 14.77 g and 92.09 ± 13.76 g, respectively (P < 0.001). Adrenal gland weights of the GP and IC groups were similar as 1.66 ± 0.25 g and 1.77 ± 0.22 g, respectively. Although, the carcass conformation of kids was similar between groups, there were significant differences between GP and IC groups for some slaughter and carcass characteristics. In general, although housing kids reared in individual crates provides opportunity to individually feed and monitor a kid, the results obtained from the individual crates in the present study were not satisfactorily from the ethological and production points of view.

The effect of feeding system on fattening performance, slaughter, and carcass characteristics of Norduz male kids.

The study was conducted to determine the effect of feeding systems on fattening performance, slaughter, and carcass characteristics of male Norduz kids. In the study, 20 male Norduz kids weaned at 2.5 months of age were divided into two groups after weaning. The first group was reared under semi-intensive conditions (SI) on a mixture of pasture and concentrate, and the second group was reared under extensive conditions (E) on pasture only. SI group had higher final weight (35.30 kg versus 32.81 kg), daily weight gain (153.10 g versus 132.14 g), and warm carcass yield (44.84% versus 46.55%) compared to the E group although there were no significant differences. Body organs, carcass parts, prime cuts, and chemical composition of the chop area did not also differ in two groups significantly. As a conclusion, this study showed that semi-intensive feeding systems improved kid fattening performance and carcass characteristics.