Effect of faba bean intake on growth and carcass characteristics of lambs from three breeds
2013
H., Hajji | N., Atti
The lambs fattening regimen in Tunisia is based on barley. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of feeding faba beans on lamb’s growth and carcass characteristics. Forty two lambs from Barbarine, Queue Fine de l’Ouest and Noire de Thibar breeds were used. Animals of each breed were divided into two groups receiving oat hay (7 per cent crude protein, 34 per cent crude fiber) ad libitum and 1 kg of concentrates. The concentrates were: 100 per cent barley for Control (CG) and 50 per cent barley 50 per cent faba beans for the experimental group (FG). At the end of the experiment, all animals were slaughtered. Oat hay intake was similar for all groups (527g). The diet and breed did not significantly affect slaughter weight and average daily gain, although a trend toward higher values of these parameters was observed for FG than CG (51.8 vs. 49.60 kg and 178 vs 166 g, respectively). Carcass yield was significantly higher for Barbarine breed (P equal to 0.01). The gut was significantly more developed for thin tailed breeds than for Barbarine, but was not affected by the concentrate type. Cold carcass and lean weights were higher for FG (25.2 and 11.8 kg) than CG (23.3 and 10.9 kg). Faba bean incorporation tends to improve lamb’s growth and carcass composition. Applying this regimen to lighter lambs may lead to more significant results.
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