Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-tf8b9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T15:11:00.286Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Effects of indoor or outdoor rearing on the chemical composition of lambs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

M. Theriez
Affiliation:
Laboratoire Lactation et Elevage des Ruminants INRA — Theix, 63122 St Genes Champanelle, France
B. Touraine
Affiliation:
Ecole Nationale Superieure d‘Agronomie, 9 Place Viala, 34060 Montpellier Cedex, France
P. Vigneron
Affiliation:
Ecole Nationale Superieure d‘Agronomie, 9 Place Viala, 34060 Montpellier Cedex, France
M. Prud'hon
Affiliation:
Ecole Nationale Superieure d‘Agronomie, 9 Place Viala, 34060 Montpellier Cedex, France
Get access

Abstract

Pure Merinos d'Aries male lambs were reared indoors (IN), with hay and concentrates, or outdoor (OUT) on improved Mediterranean range (Garrigues) and slaughtered when they reached 25 (light) or 32 (heavy) kg live weight. The alimentary tract weight was significantly affected by slaughter weight and by rearing method, which also significantly modified rumen contents. IN lamb body composition was higher in fat and energy and lower in water and protein than OUT lambs but differences induced by the rearing method were reduced when slaughter weight was increased. Allometric equations established for each environment were used to determine body composition and body gain composition at 20 and 25 kg empty body weight. Changes were very limited for IN lambs but protein and fat content of OUT lambs changed greatly as a result of the tremendous increase of grass availability towards the end of the fattening period.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1992

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Agricultural Research Council. 1980. The nutrient requirements of ruminant livestock. Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux, Slough.Google Scholar
Andrews, R. P. and Ørskov, E. R. 1970. The nutrition of the early weaned lamb. II. The effect of dietary protein concentration, feeding level and sex on body composition at two live weight. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 75: 1926.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Aurousseau, B. and Vigneron, P. 1986. [Influence of rearing method and slaughter weight on muscular lipids characteristics of lamb. Reproduction, Nutrition, Developpement. 26: 351352.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Drew, K. R. and Reid, J. T. 1975. Compensatory growth in immature sheep. I. The effects of weight loss and realimentation on the whole body composition. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 85: 193204.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ferrel, C. L., Koong, L. J. and Nienaber, J. A. 1986. Effect of previous nutrition on body composition and maintenance energy costs of growing lambs. British journal of Nutrition 56: 595605.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique. 1979. [Pastoral improvement of Garrigue. In Utilization by ruminants of mountain pastures and Mediterranean ranges], pp. 391393. INRA Publications, Versailles.Google Scholar
Searle, T. W., Graham, N. McC. and Smith, E. 1979. Studies on weaned lambs before, during and after a period of weight loss. II. Body compositio. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 30: 525531.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Searle, T. W. and Griffiths, D. A. 1976. The body composition of growing sheep during milk feeding, and the effect on composition of weaning at various body weight. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 86: 483493.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Theriez, M., Tissier, M. and Robelin, J. 1981. The chemical composition of the intensively fed lam. Animal Production 32: 2937.Google Scholar
Theriez, M., Villette, Y. and Castrillo, C. 1982. Influence of metabolizable energy content of the diet and of feeding level on lamb performances. 1. Growth and body compositio. Livestock Production Science 9: 471485.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Touraine, B., Vigneron, P., Touraille, C. and Prud'hon, M. 1984. [Influence of rearing methods on carcass and meat characteristics of Merinos d'Aries lambs slaughtered at 25 and 32 k.] Bulletin Technique de I‘Elevage Ovin. 4: 2933.Google Scholar