Exogenous growth hormone releasing factors and cottonseed meal improve growth performance and composition of gain in lambs fed lucerne chaff ad libitum [sheep]
1994
Sainz, R.D. | Hosking, B.J. (Melbourne Univ., Parkville (Australia). School of Agriculture and Forestry) | Hart, F.J. (Pitman Moore Australia Ltd, Bringelly) | Schricker, B.R. (Pitman Moore Inc., Terre Haute (USA))
Experiments on 48 crossbred wether lambs showed that cottonseed meal (CSM) reduced intake of lucerne chaff, but increased total feed intake. CSM also increased liveweight gain and wool growth, with no effect on feed conversion efficiency. CSM increased carcass weight and decreased subcutaneous fat depth, with no effect on dressing percentage or longissimus dorsi (LD) area. Meat tenderness tended to decrease with CSM supplementation. Both recombinant and synthetic growth hormone-releasing factor (GRF) had similar effects. Intakes were not significantly affected by GRF, but feed conversion efficiency improved with GRF treatment. Liveweight gains and final weights of the whole body and carcass were increased additively by CSM and GRF. GRF reduced fat depth and increased LD area, with no effect on dressing percentage, carcass length or meat tenderness. Cottonseed meal and GRF additively produced significant improvements in growth performance and carcass quality of young wether lambs fed a roughage diet. GRF may be a useful tool to improve livestock production under extensive and intensive conditions.
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