Effect of feeding olive-pulp ensiled with additives on feedlot performance and carcass attributes of fat-tailed lambs

Abstract

Feed cost has a significant effect on the economic efficiency of feedlot lambs; therefore, the use of low-cost non-conventional feedstuffs, such as olive pulp (OP), has the potential to decrease the production costs. Because optimum inclusion of OP-treated silages has not been determined in feedlot lambs, an experiment was conducted to determine the effect of inclusion of OP ensiled with additives in the diet on the feedlot performance and carcass attributes of feedlot lambs. Ram lambs of Mehraban and Ghezel breeds (n = 50 lambs per breed) were randomly allotted to 10 groups and fed with one of the nine diets containing OP silage or a control diet. Silage treatments were: (1) OP silage without additives (OPS), (2) OP ensiled with 8 % beet molasses and 0.4 % formic acid (OP-MF), and (3) OP ensiled with 8 % beet molasses, 0.4 % formic acid and 0.5 % urea (OP-MFU). The control diet contained 50 % alfalfa hay and 50 % barley grain. Three levels from each silage were chosen to replace the barley grain (10, 20, or 30 % dry matter basis). The lambs were slaughtered after 92 days, and the average daily gain (ADG), feed conversion ratio (FCR), and carcass characteristics were determined. Feeding OPS to fat-tailed lambs, at an inclusion level of 30 %, decreased the carcass dressing percentage, mainly as a result of decreased brisket percentage, but the ADG and FCR values were not adversely affected. Ghezel lambs had higher ADG than Mehraban lambs, but the visceral fat weight percentage, flap weight percentage, and back fat depth were higher in Mehraban. The crude protein content in the longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle was higher in Ghezel, but the dry matter percentage was higher in Mehraban (P < 0.05). Other attributes were not significantly affected by breed (P > 0.05). Most carcass characteristics, including major cuts, were not affected by OPS feeding; therefore, feeding OPS (up to 30 %) can be economical for feedlot lambs. Most carcass characteristics, including major cuts, were not affected by OPS levels used in this experiment; therefore, inclusion of OPS (up to 30 %) in the diet may reduce the cost of raising feedlot lambs. This also could help alleviate the problem of storage of OP in oil factories.

Application of Olive By-Products in Livestock with Emphasis on Small Ruminants: Implications on Rumen Function, Growth Performance, Milk and Meat Quality

“…Farmers could reduce the amount of concentrate used for lambs up to 75% by using olive cake-based feed blocks (44%) as alternative supplements, since no negative effects on lamb performance are observed [ 79 ]. Taheri et al [ 80 ] reached a similar inclusion after the inclusion of ensiled olive pulp at the level of 10–30% into the diets of ram lambs; ADG, FCR, and most carcass traits including major cuts were not adversely affected.…”

Supplementing diets of Awassi ewes with olive cake and tomato pomace: on-farm recovery of effects on yield, composition and fatty acid profile of the milk

“…Research on the effects of such feeds on milk yield and other animal performance traits has been intensified since the reviews by Molina-Alcaide and Yáñez-Ruiz (2008) and Vasta et al (2008). Various studies investigated the effect of including olive cake in various forms in the diet of lactating ewes (Hadjipanayiotou 1999;Chiofalo et al 2004;Vargas-Bello-Pérez et al 2013a) and other dairy animals (Molina-Alcaide et al 2010, Faye et al 2013, Terramoccia et al 2013, and in growing lambs (e.g., Taheri et al 2013). However, few have investigated the effect of tomato pomace (Romano et al 2010;Romero-Huelva et al 2012).…”