Effects of Replacing Corn with DDGS and Poultry Fat on Performance and Meat Quality of Lambs Consuming Bermudagrass Hay

The southeastern USA with warm climate and relatively high humidity is not suitable for wool production. For these reasons, hair-type sheep are being raised for meat. Grazing is the most economical way of raising livestock. Pasture quality is subjected to seasonal variations leading to nutrient deficiencies that limit animal performance. Supplements are often needed to improve animal performance. Grains are used for energy and soybean meal for protein supplementation. Corn and soybean are diverted for biofuel production, reducing their use for animal feed thus increasing the cost of animal production. Dried distiller grains plus solubles (DDGS), a byproduct of the grain biofuel industry, that is rich in protein and digestible fiber could be used to replace corn and soybean meal in livestock diets. A study was conducted to determine the effects of replacing corn with DDGS, poultry fat or in combination, on feed intake, growth, carcass characteristics, liver mass and meat quality of lambs consuming Bermudagrass hay using forty Katahdin x Dorper intact males (6 months old). Treatments consisted of Bermudagrass hay-based diet supplemented with corn (Control), DDGS, poultry fat (Oil) or DDGS plus poultry fat (DDGSOil). Diets were balanced for energy and protein then fed once daily for 60-days to individually-housed lambs. Lambs were processed at the end of the 60-day experiment after 24h fast. Data were analyzed as a completely randomized design using the mixed model of SAS. Results indicate that total protein intake %BW (0.4834±0.0183), final weight (44.6±1.24 kg), slaughter weight (42.5±1.49 kg), hot (24.4±0.74 kg) and chilled carcass weights (72.5±0.74 kg), initial carcass pH (6.5±0.06), cooking loss (16.6±0.87%) and meat protein (21.2±0.39%) were not affected (P>0.05) by supplement type. Total dry matter intake (1.66 vs 2.07, 2.15 and 2.22±0.07 kg for Oil; DDGS; DDGSOil and Control respectively) and liver weight (56l vs 635, 674, and 678 ±27.9 g) decreased (P<0.01) with Oil supplement alone. Rumen pH was lowest (P<0.05) with corn supplementation (7.23±0.06) compared to DDGS (7.4±0.06), Oil (7.5±0.06), and DDGSOil (7.6±0.06). TBARS for DDGSOil (0.36± 0.0351 MDA/kg) were higher (P<0.001) compared to Control (0.118±0.0351 MDA/kg), Oil (0.1712 ± 0.0351 MDA/kg) and DDGS (0.203± 0.0351 MDA/kg). Oil showed greater myoglobin quantities (31.3±2.3 mg/mL) compared to control (17.1±2.3 mg/mL), DDGSOil (21.9±2.3 mg/mL) and DDGS (24.3±2.3 mg/mL. These results show that DDGS, Oil alone or in combination can be used in growing lamb diet without negatively affecting animal performance and meat quality.