Abstract

This paper explores the potential of using locally produced protein sources in diets for growing lambs in northern Europe. The aim of the research was to evaluate the effects on lamb growth performance of peas, rapeseed cake and hempseed cake as protein supplements in barley-based diets. Forty-eight crossbred (White Swedish Landrace x Texel) ewe lambs were penned, forming experimental units allotted to one of four experimental diets. The lambs were on average 87 (SD = 9) days of age at the start of the eight-week continuous trial, during which their live weight (LW) was recorded weekly. The four experimental diets were barley-based, with 101 g hay/kg diet on a dry matter (DM) basis. The control diet (B-0). without protein supplement, contained 112 g crude protein (CP) and the calculated metabolisable energy (ME) value was 13.0 MJ/kg DM. The other diets contained peas (B-P), rapeseed cake (B-RC) or hempseed cake (B-HC) and had similar CP concentrations (160-162 g/kg DM), but varied in ME content (13.4, 13.4 and 12.2 MJ/kg DM, respectively). Rumen undegradable CP (RUP) was 231, 99, 298 and 291 g/kg CP, with an intestinal digestibility of 605, 707,528 and 307 g/kg RUP for the concentrates of barley, peas, rapeseed cake and hempseed cake, respectively. There were no significant differences in DM intake, which varied between 860 and 989 g/d, for the lambs on the different diets. However, CP intake was higher for lambs fed B-P and B-HC (P<0.001) and calculated ME intake was higher for lambs fed B-P (P=0.037) than for the other diets, among which there were no significant differences in these respects. Initial LW of the lambs did not differ significantly between treatments, but final LW was higher for lambs fed B-P and B-RC (P=0.029). Total gain and average daily gain were highest for the B-P treatment, followed by the B-RC treatment (P<0.001). Feed conversion (DM intake/LW gain) was more efficient for lambs fed B-P and B-RC, compared with the other treatments (P<0.001). No significant differences in growth performance or feed conversion were found between the B-0 and the B-HC treatments. In conclusion, supplementing barley-based diets with peas or rapeseed cake significantly improved growth performance of the lambs, but including hempseed cake did not. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords

Peas; Rapeseed cake; Hempseed cake; Feed intake; Live weight gain

Published in

Livestock Science
2011, Volume: 138, number: 1-3, pages: 125-131
Publisher: ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

SLU Authors

• Karlsson, Linda

  • Department of Agricultural Research for Northern Sweden, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Martinsson, Kjell

  • Department of Agricultural Research for Northern Sweden, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Zoology
Agricultural Science


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2010.12.010

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/46581