The nutrition of the early weaned lamb:II. The effect of dietary protein concentration, feeding level and sex on body composition at two live weights

Abstract

SUMMARY1. In an experiment with ninety-nine lambs the effects on the body composition of male and female lambs were examined when five diets containing different concentrations of crude protein (in the range 10–20%) were given at three levels of feeding and lambs were slaughtered at two live weights (27·5 and 40 kg).2. With lambs slaughtered at 27·5 kg there were significant increases in the rate of both nitrogen and fat retention with increases in levels of feeding. There were also linear increases in the rate of protein deposition and decreases in fat deposition with increases in the concentration of crude protein. This effect was particularly marked at the high level of feeding.3. With lambs slaughtered at 40 kg live weight there were also linear increases in fat and in nitrogen deposition with increasing feeding level but the effect of increasing the protein concentration on increases in nitrogen retention departed from linearity.4. While at 27·5 kg there were no significant effects of feeding level on nitrogen and ether-extract content of the bodies at slaughter, with animals slaughtered at 40 kg there was a significant linear decrease in ether-extract content with increasing feeding level and a corresponding linear increase in nitrogen content with increased level of feeding.5. Male lambs deposited more nitrogen and less fat than females. This was true of both rate of deposition and of carcass composition at 40 kg live weight.