Journal: Journal of animal physiology and animal nutrition

Article Title: Effects of increasing amount of dietary Prosopis laevigata pods on performance, meat quality and fatty acid profile in growing lambs.

PMID/MRN: 27758011

Publication Date: 2016-Oct-18

Abstract:

A study with finishing lambs assessed the effect of dietary inclusion of Prosopis laevigata pods (PLPs) on performance, carcass characteristics, meat traits and fatty acid profile of subcutaneous fat. Twenty-one Rambouillet lambs (27.0ʱÊ3.0Êkg BW) were assigned to one of three experimental diets with 0, 150 and 300Êg PLP/kg DM. Evaluation of growth performance lasted 49Êdays. The experimental design was completely randomized and analysed with a mixed model. Lambs fed diets with 0, 150 and 300Êg PLP had similar growth performance. Lambs fed diets with 300Êg PLP/kg DM had better (pÊ<Ê0.05) carcass yield and classification, less (pÊ<Ê0.05) fat deposition and lower lightness (L*) value (pÊ<Ê0.05) in meat than lambs fed diets with 0 and 150Êg PLP/kg DM. Saturated fatty acids (palmitic and stearic) decreased (pÊ<Ê0.05) and unsaturated fatty acids (oleic and linoleic) increased (pÊ<Ê0.05) in subcutaneous fat of lambs fed diets with 150 and 300Êg pods as compared with lambs not fed PLP. Prosopis laevigata pods are a safe feedstuff that can replace a third of conventional ingredients and reduce feed costs in growing lambs. Addition of PLP reduced (pÊ<Ê0.05) total feed cost by 21%. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.