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Effects of Zeranol® implants and dietary supplement on growth rate, endocrine status and blood metabolite levels of growing lambs at pasture

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

S. M. Rhind
Affiliation:
Hill Farming Research Organisation, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian EH26 0PY
D. Zygoyiannis
Affiliation:
Hill Farming Research Organisation, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian EH26 0PY
J. M. Doney
Affiliation:
Hill Farming Research Organisation, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian EH26 0PY
I. D. Leslie
Affiliation:
Hill Farming Research Organisation, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian EH26 0PY
I. C. Hart
Affiliation:
National Institute for Research in Dairying, Shinfield, Reading RG2 9AT
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Abstract

In a 2 × 2 factorial experiment, the effect of implants of the growth promoter Zeranol, with and without supplementary food, on the growth rate, blood metabolite and hormone profiles of lambs finished at pasture was examined. For lambs fed no supplement, Zeranol implants increased growth rates from 166 to 185 g/day (s.e. of difference = 11·4) whereas for animals fed supplement the response to Zeranol was much greater, the growth rates being 167 and 234 g/day (s.e. of difference = 12·8). Supplement given to lambs not treated with Zeranol replaced a proportion of the herbage intake while, in lambs given supplement and treated with Zeranol, herbage intake was greatly increased (P < 0·001). Plasma glucose and urea concentrations were not affected by treatment but non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) were depressed and albumin levels increased by Zeranol implants, while supplementary food caused reductions in plasma NEFA and urea concentrations. It is suggested that Zeranol treatment and supplementary food acted synergistically through changes in insulin and growth hormone concentrations to induce a much larger increase in growth rate in the treated animals given supplementary food than in those given either Zeranol or supplement alone. The response to Zeranol may also have been altered by differences in thyroid hormone status associated with supplementary food.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1984

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References

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