Performance and carcass characteristics of lambs fed diets with fat and vitamin E

Adriana Paiva Paula Pinto,Idalmo Garcia Pereira,Iraides Ferreira Furusho-Garcia,Izac Leopoldino Júnior,Nadja Gomes Alves,Juan Ramón Olalquiaga Pérez

doi:10.1590/s1516-35982011001200039

Adriana Paiva Paula Pinto, Idalmo Garcia Pereira + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.1590/s1516-35982011001200039

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Abstract

This experiment aimed to determine the influence of diets with inclusion of protected fat and vitamin E on performance, yield and carcass characteristics of feedlot lambs with different weights. Thirty-two non-castrated Santa Ines lambs were fed diets with a ratio of 40% forage and 60% concentrate ad libitum, with presence or absence of protected fat and/or vitamin E, in a total of four diets. Two weights of early containment were also considered: between 20 and 25 kg and between 30 and 35 kg. All animals were slaughtered at 84 days of confinement. Animals fed diets without addition of protected fat, regardless of the use of vitamin E, had the highest intakes of dry matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber and ash, and decreased intake of ether extract. The variables investigated did not affect daily weight gain and total gain. Feed conversion was better for the lighter confined animals not fed protected fat. The heavier feedlot lambs fed diets with vitamin E showed higher cold carcass. The warm carcass for the lighter animals confined fed with vitamin E, and the heavier ones, fed with protected fat and vitamin E, showed the best yields of cold carcass. Objective measures of the carcass cold had the highest mean for heavier feedlot lambs. The addition of fat in the diet reduces the intake of dry matter and increases the ether extract. Although the inclusion of vitamin has no effect on intake of nutrients, it protects the carcasses from losses during cooling, and weight differences at containment directly reflect the measures of the carcasses.

Highlights

The sheep industry in intensive production system finds obstacles in relation to food production, which is one of the most important aspects in meat production
This experiment aimed to determine the influence of diets with inclusion of protected fat and vitamin E on performance, yield and carcass characteristics of feedlot lambs with different weights
To achieve success in these systems, nutrient management is essential to determine existing interactions with physiological responses that alter body composition and feed conversion, with the purpose to seize the productive potential at an appropriate production cost (Carvalho & Siqueira, 2001; Gerassev et al, 2006), and considering the quality of used ingredients (Vasconcelos, 1993; Sampaio et al, 2002)

Summary

Introduction

The sheep industry in intensive production system finds obstacles in relation to food production, which is one of the most important aspects in meat production. To achieve success in these systems, nutrient management is essential to determine existing interactions with physiological responses that alter body composition and feed conversion, with the purpose to seize the productive potential at an appropriate production cost (Carvalho & Siqueira, 2001; Gerassev et al, 2006), and considering the quality of used ingredients (Vasconcelos, 1993; Sampaio et al, 2002). The feedlot system can reduce the production cycle and generate carcasses of young animals with better quality (Urano et al, 2006) to the market, meeting the requirements of the market for sheep meat (Perez, 2003). According to Ribeiro (2005), lamb is the animal category of best carcass traits and, greater acceptance by consumers. The carcass measures characterize the product and are highly correlated with weight (Wood et al, 1980; El Karin et al, 1988 ), and carcasses composition, mainly by measuring the thickness of subcutaneous fat (Wood & Macfie, 1980; Fisher, 1990)

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