A comparison of the growth and meat characteristics of crossbred lambs fed several complete whole grain diets.

Abstract

A COMPARISON OF THE GROWTH & MEAT CHARACTERISTICS OF CROSSBRED LAMBS FED SEVERAL COMPLETE WHOLE GRAIN DIETS. B. Mitchell* and E.M. Roberts* Previms work at The University of New South Wales on droughtfeedingofsheeipwithwheatsuggestedflavourchanges in the neat.- Anexperimntwas designedtoexaminethegrcwthrates of lax&s fed pure grain diets, and the effect such diets had oh mat flavour, armandacceptability. OnehundredandthirtynineDorset X~~olambs (man liveweight26kg)wererandmisedintosixtreatmentgroups, consistingoffivepuregraindiets (oats, wheat,maize, barley and sorghm) and a cmtr diet of a prcprietary stock feed pel1et.t Mineral salt blocks 59 weres~liedtoeachpenandl~%lirrres~~ wasmixedwi&allfeeds. Afourandahalfweek transitionperiod ontothediets fr~pastureoccurredandlambswerekilled17weeks afterthe startof theexperiment. When grmth rates over the whole eqerimntwere analysed, itbecma clearthatla&sonthepureoatdietgrew significantly mre, slowly (5% level) than all other groups except maize. Those on the pellet diet grew significantly faster than 1-s fed wheat,maize and oats, but not faster than those fed barley and sorghum. Proximate analyses of the feeds shcrwed oats to have the highest fibre (12.5%) and fat (6.1%) levels with relatively low energy values. Maize and &eat samples had the lclwest fibre levels whilethepellethadthe advantageofbeingamrebalanced ruminant diet. * Schoolof WoolandPastoralSciences, TheUniversityofNewSouth Wales, Kensingtor~ N.S.W. 2033. 15P