Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-42gr6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T04:10:51.979Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effects of two dried forages, and a choice between them, on intake, growth and carcass composition in lambs of two breeds and their cross

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 August 2016

J. M. Macfarlane ,
R. M. Lewis  and
G. C. Emmans
J. M. Macfarlane
Affiliation:
Sustainable Livestock Systems, Scottish Agricultural College, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK
R. M. Lewis*
Affiliation:
Sustainable Livestock Systems, Scottish Agricultural College, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences (0306), Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA
G. C. Emmans
Affiliation:
Sustainable Livestock Systems, Scottish Agricultural College, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK
*
† E-mail: rmlewis@vt.edu
Get access

Abstract

The effects of forage type, breed type and sex on lamb growth and carcass composition, and their changes throughout growth, were measured. The three breed types were Scottish Blackface (no. = 31), Suffolk (no. = 28) and their reciprocal cross (no. = 30). The lambs were given ad libitum a pelleted ryegrass alone, pelleted lucerne alone or a choice of both. Each lamb was scanned using X-ray computed tomography to measure the weights of fat, lean and bone in the carcass at three proportions of mature body weight (0·30, 0·45 and 0·65). Live weights and food intake data were recorded weekly. Average daily gains in live weight and carcass tissues, food intake and efficiency were calculated for each lamb between degrees of maturity. Relationships between weight and food intake were investigated using a Spillman function.

Breed type had no effect on fat or lean proportion in the carcass but Scottish Blackface lambs had 1·04 times the carcass bone proportions of the Suffolk or crossbred lambs. Diet had no effect on carcass tissue proportions. The effect of sex on carcass composition changed with stage of maturity. Breed type and sex effects on intakes and gains in live weight and tissue weights were related to mature size differences. Scaling by (mature size)0·73 did not fully remove these differences. There were no effects of breed type, sex or diet on efficiency. Lambs on ryegrass had lower intakes (0·878 as great) and slower growth (0·851 as fast) than those on lucerne or the choice treatment. The mean proportion of ryegrass in the choice diet was 0·366 (s.e. 0·0273); it increased slightly with time. There was no breed type by diet interaction for any of the variables examined. The Spillman function described growth well and showed that there were no effects of breed type, diet or sex on efficiency.

Keywords

carcass compositioncomputed tomographyfood preferencesforagegrowthsheep
Type
Ruminant nutrition, behaviour and production
Information
Animal Science , Volume 78 , Issue 3 , June 2004 , pp. 485 - 496
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 2004

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Butterfield, R. M., Griffiths, D. A., Thompson, J. M., Zamora, J. and James, A. M. 1983. Changes in body composition relative to weight and maturity in large and small strains of Australian Merino rams. 1. Muscle, bone and fat. Animal Production 36: 29–37.Google Scholar
Emmans, G. C. 1988. Genetic components of potential and actual growth. In Animal breeding opportunities (ed. Land, R. B. G., Bulfield and Hill, W. G.), British Society of Animal Science occasional publication no. 12, pp. 153–181.Google Scholar
Gaili, E. S. E. 1992. Breed and sex differences in body composition of sheep in relation to maturity and growth rate. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 118: 121–126.Google Scholar
Genstat 5 Committee. 2001. Genstat 5 release 4·2 (PC/ Windows NT). Lawes Agricultural Trust, Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden.Google Scholar
Givens, D. I., Moss, A. R. and Adamson, A. H. 1992. The chemical composition and energy value of high temperature dried grass produced in England. Animal Feed Science Technology 36: 215–228.Google Scholar
Hammond, J. 1932. Growth and development of mutton qualities in the sheep. Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh.Google Scholar
Jakubec, V. 1977. Productivity of crosses based on prolific breeds of sheep. Summary of reports presented at the EAAP study meeting in Zurich, 1976. Livestock Production Science 4: 379–392.Google Scholar
Kempster, A. J., Croston, D., Guy, D. R. and Jones, D. W. 1987. Growth and carcass characteristics of crossbred lambs by ten sire breeds, compared at the same estimated carcass subcutaneous fat proportion. Animal Production 44: 83–98.Google Scholar
Kyriazakis, I. and Emmans, G. C. 1993. The effect of protein-source on the diets selected by pigs given a choice between a low and high protein food. Physiology and Behaviour 53: 683–688.Google Scholar
Kyriazakis, I., Emmans, G. C. and Taylor, A. J. 1993. A note on the diets selected by boars given a choice between 2 foods of different protein concentrations from 44 to 103 kg live weight. Animal Production 56: 151–154.Google Scholar
Kyriazakis, I. and Oldham, J. D. 1993. Diet selection in sheep — the ability of growing lambs to select a diet that meets their crude protein (nitrogen ✕ 6·25) requirements. British Journal of Nutrition 69: 617–629.Google Scholar
Lee, G. J. 1984. A comparison of carcass traits in Scottish Blackface and Welsh Mountain lambs and their crosses. Animal Production 39: 433–440.Google Scholar
Lewis, R. M., Emmans, G. C. and Simm, G. 2002. Effects of index selection on the carcass composition of sheep given either ad libitum or controlled amounts of food. Animal Science 75: 185–195.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lewis, R. M., Emmans, G. C. and Simm, G. 2004a. Effects of index selection on the carcass composition of sheep given foods of different protein content ad libitum . Animal Science 78: 203–212.Google Scholar
Lewis, R. M., Macfarlane, J. M., Simm, G. and Emmans, G. C. 2004b. Effects of food quality on growth and carcass composition in lambs of two breeds and their cross. Animal Science 78: 355–367.Google Scholar
Leymaster, K. A. 2002. Breeding for improvement of meat production in sheep: fundamental aspects of crossbreeding of sheep – use of breed diversity to improve efficiency of meat production. Sheep and Goat Research Journal 17: 50–59.Google Scholar
McClelland, T. H., Bonatti, B. and Taylor, St C. S. 1976. Breed differences in body composition of equally mature sheep. Animal Production 23: 281–294.Google Scholar
McClelland, T. H., Russel, A. J. F. and Jackson, T. H. 1973. Lamb growth, efficiency of food utilization and body fat at four stages of maturity in four breeds of different mature body weight. Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Production (New Series) 2: 83 (abstr.).Google Scholar
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. 1975. Energy allowances and feeding systems for ruminants, Technical bulletin no. 33. Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, London.Google Scholar
Nandra, K. S., Dobos, R. C., Orchard, B. A., Neutze, S. A., Oddy, V. H., Cullis, B. R. and Jones, A. W. 2000. The effect of animal species on in sacco degradation of dry matter and protein of feeds in the rumen. Animal Feed Science and Technology 83: 273–285.Google Scholar
Nitter, G. 1978. Breed utilisation for meat production in sheep. Animal Breeding Abstracts 46: 131–143.Google Scholar
Taylor, St C. S. 1980. Genetic size scaling rules in animal growth. Animal Production 30: 161–165.Google Scholar
Taylor, St C. S., Murray, J. I. and Thonney, M. L. 1989. Breed and sex differences among equally mature sheep and goats. 4. Carcass muscle, fat and bone. Animal Production 49: 385–409.Google Scholar
Thomas, P. C., Robertson, S., Chamberlain, D. G., Livingstone, R. M., Garthwaite, P. H., Dewey, P. J. S., Smart, R. and Whyte, C. 1988. Predicting the metabolizable energy (ME) content of compound feeds for ruminants. In Recent advances in animal nutrition (ed. Haresign, W. and Cole, D. J. A.), pp. 127–146. Butterworths, London.Google Scholar
Thompson, J. M., Butterfield, R. M. and Perry, D. 1985. Food intake, growth and body composition in Australian Merino sheep selected for high and low weaning weight. 2. Chemical and dissectible body composition. Animal Production 40: 71–84.Google Scholar
Thompson, J. M. and Parks, J. R. 1983. Food intake, growth and mature size in Australian Merino and Dorset Horn sheep. Animal Production 36: 471–479.Google Scholar
Thonney, M. L., Taylor, St C. S. and McClelland, T. H. 1987. Breed and sex differences in equally mature sheep and goats. 1. Growth and food intake. Animal Production 45: 239–260.Google Scholar
Tolkamp, B. J., Kyriazakis, I., Oldham, J. D., Lewis, M., Dewhurst, R. J. and Newbold, J. R. 1998. Diet choice by dairy cows. 2. Selection for metabolizable protein or for ruminally degradable protein. Journal of Dairy Science 81: 2670–2680.Google Scholar
Wolf, B. T., Smith, C. and Sales, D. I. 1980. Growth and carcass composition in the crossbred progeny of six terminal sire breeds of sheep. Animal Production 31: 307–313.Google Scholar
Wood, J. D., MacFie, H. J. H., Pomeroy, R. W. and Twinn, D. J. 1980. Carcass composition in four sheep breeds: the importance of type of breed and stage of maturity. Animal Production 30: 135–152.Google Scholar
Woodward, J. and Wheelock, V. 1990. Consumer attitudes to fat in meat. In Reducing fat in meat animals (ed. Wood, J. D. and Fisher, A. V.), pp. 66–100. Elsevier, London.Google Scholar
Wylie, A. R. G., Chestnutt, D. M. B. and Kilpatrick, D. J. 1997. Growth and carcass characteristics of heavy slaughter weight lambs: effects of sire breed and sex of lamb and relationships to serum metabolites and IGF–1. Animal Science 64: 309–318.Google Scholar