Physiological and hormonal responses of lambs repeatedly implanted with zeranol and provided two levels of feed intake.

Abstract

Forty crossbred wethers (average weight 30 kg) were implanted with zeranol (12 mg) at 30-d intervals and fed at two levels of intake in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments to determine performance, carcass and bone characteristics, blood metabolites, and hormones. Restricted lambs were fed to gain one-half the BW gained by lambs with ad libitum feed access. Lambs with ad libitum and restricted access to feed were slaughtered after 98 and 154 d, respectively. Zeranol increased ADG (P = .047; 20%), gain to feed (P = .023; 17%), metacarpal length (P = .004; 6%) and weight (P = .013; 13%), and tended to increase carcass crude protein gain (P = .106; 63%) while reducing kidney pelvic fat (P = .001; 33%) and dressing percentage (P = .038; 3%). Restricted feed intake increased the percentage of carcass ash and metacarpal length and weight by 27% (P = .048), 5% (P = .006), and 10% (P = .045), respectively, while reducing quality grade scores (P = .022; 5%), gain to feed (P = .001; 49%), longissimus muscle area (P = .001; 28%), the percentage of kidney pelvic fat (P = .033; 13%), and daily fat gain (P = .001; 54%). Zeranol increased pituitary weight (P = .001; 166%), plasma glucose (P = .036; 13%), mean serum growth hormone (GH; P = .011; 52%), baseline GH (P = .048; 34%), GH pulse amplitude (P = .003; 59%), and IGF-I (P = .001; 53%) concentrations. The results indicate that continuous administration of zeranol from 60 d of age to slaughter increases GH release, which directs nutrient utilization such that a carcass with more desirable lean and fat deposition patterns is obtained when nutrient availability is adequate.