Use of almond hulls in lamb diets - Effects on growth performance and carcass and meat quality.

The effect of partial replacement of cereals by increasing levels of almond hulls (AH) was tested in twenty-four lambs distributed into three dietary treatments: 1) diet without replacement of cereals with AH (0AH); 2) diet with replacement of cereals with 9% of AH (9AH); and 3) diet with replacement of cereals with 18% of AH (18AH). All diets included 40% dehydrated lucerne and 5% soybean oil. Dry matter intake, growth performance, feed costs, carcass traits, meat quality, and lipid oxidative stability of raw and cooked meat during refrigerated storage were evaluated.

Effects of alfalfa particle size and starch content in diets on feeding behaviour, intake, rumen parameters, animal performance and meat quality of growing lambs.

Thirty-two crossbred Merino branco male lambs were randomly allocated to eight diets, combining two forms of alfalfa presentation (chopped or ground), with four barley grain levels (0%, 11.2%, 21.3% and 33% dry matter (DM)), balanced by low starch agro-industrial by-products (LSBP).

Neglected Mediterranean plant species are valuable resources: the example of Cistus ladanifer.

The combination of genotypic selection, targeted and improved cultivation, and processing techniques for specific applications gives C. ladanifer the potential to be used as a valuable resource in Mediterranean areas with poor agronomic advantages. Cistus ladanifer (rockrose) is a perennial shrub, well adapted to the Mediterranean climate and possibly to upcoming environmental changes.

Effect of dietary neutral detergent fibre source on lambs growth, meat quality and biohydrogenation intermediates.

With this trial we have tested the effects of structural and chemical composition of neutral detergent fibre (NDF) of the diet on lamb fatty acid composition of meat and subcutaneous fat. Twenty lambs, were fed complete diets with low starch and similar NDF content of different origin (ground alfalfa or soybean hulls). Animal performance and product quality were not affected by treatments.