Determination of the trace minerals requirements for maintenance and growth of 35–50 kg Dorper × Hu crossbred ram lambs

Abstract

This study aimed at estimating the trace minerals net requirements for maintenance and growth of Dorper  Hu ram lambs using the comparative slaughter techniques in 35 lambs of 35-50 kg body weight (BW). Seven lambs were slaughtered at the initial BW (34.93 ± 0.37 kg) to determine the basal whole-body composition. Another seven lambs were fed ad libitum (AL) and then slaughtered when it reached 41.73 ± 0.53 kg BW. The remained 21 lambs were assigned into three treatment groups, seven animals each, and fed 100, 70 or 40% of AL intake, respectively, and were slaughtered when they reached a BW of 49.93 ± 1.03 kg. The net requirements of maintenance were 5.1, 429.3, 94.0 and 48.8 mg/kg empty BW (EBW) for Mn, Fe, Zn and Cu, respectively. The net requirements of growth at 35 kg BW were 0.86, 70.41, 33.46 and 4.31 mg/ kg EBW for Mn, Fe, Zn and Cu, respectively. At a BW of 50 kg, the net growth requirements were 0.93, 68.40, 35.20 and 4.15 mg/kg EBW for Mn, Fe, Zn and Cu, respectively. Our data indicated that the Mn and Zn requirements increase, whereas those of Fe and Cu decrease when BW increases. In addition, the net Cu, Mn and Fe requirements for maintenance and Zn, Cu, Mn and Fe requirements for growth of Dorper  Hu hybrid ram lambs were higher than those reported in the NRC but Zn requirements for maintenance matched that of the NRC. HIGHLIGHTSTrace minerals requirements for maintenance and growth vary with sheep genotype or breed. The comparative slaughter method could be a reliable tool for estimating the net requirements of trace minerals in Dorper  Hu ram lambs. Our estimated values for maintenance (Cu, Mn and Fe) and growth (Zn, Cu, Mn and Fe) requirements were higher than those reported in the NRC (2007).

Comparative Study of the Amount of Macro- And Microelements in the Content of Different Muscles of Lambs and Kids

“…Therefore, the authors concluded that young lamb meat is more dietary and plays an important role in the human diet. Zhang et al (2020) studied the microelement requirements of lambs with a live weight of 35-50kg. It was noted that the need for manganese, iron, zinc, and copper in lambs with a live weight 35kg is 0.86, 70.41, 33.46, and 4.31mg/mL, respectively.…”

“…The export of meat products from many countries is decreasing due to the pollution of the environment, feed, and water, as well as the higher-than-normal level of chemical elements in meat products (Kasap et al 2017;Xing et al 2019). The research has determined it conducted so far that the amount of some elements in the meat and organs of slaughtered animals is much higher than the physiological norm (de Arujo et al 2017;Schweinzer et al 2017;Egigba et al 2018;Zhang et al 2020;Derar et al 2022). The amount of chemical elements in the tissues of animals varies depending on their age, sex, and type of tissue (Johnson et al 1995).…”