Influence of additional tannins extract level on feedlot performance of finishing hair lambs

Influence of additional tannins extract level on feedlot performance of finishing hair lambs

R. Barajas ¹*, E. B. Bonilla, L.R. Flores¹, J.J. Lomeli¹, and J.A. Romo¹

¹FMVZ-Universidad Autonoma de Sinaloa, Mexico

rubar@uas.uasnet.mx

Abstract Text:

Forty eight Pelibuey x Katahdin hair lambs weighing 21.3 ± SD 3.23 kg were used in a 70 day experiment to determine the influence of tannins extract level supplementation on feedlot performance of finishing hair lambs. Animals were blocked by initial weight and in groups of three, lambs were placed in 16 plastic floor elevated pens (1.5 x 1.6 m). In a complete randomized block design, within a block, pens were randomly assigned to four treatments as follows: 1) A 92% concentrate diet (14% CP; 2.07 Mcal of NEm/kg) formulated with corn grain and soybean meal without addition of tannins extract (CTRL); 2) CTRL and supplementation with 0.15% (DM basis) of tannins extract (TE15); 3) CTRL plus 0.3% (DM basis) of tannins extract (TE30); and 4) CTRL added with 0.45% (DM) of tannins extract (TE45). Lambs were fed twice a day. Tannins extract was supplied as a condensed and hydrolysable tannins-blend obtained from quebracho and chestnut trees (Silvafeed-Bypro®; SilvaTeam-Inudor, S.A., Argentina). Results were analyzed by ANOVA for a complete randomized block design, and the influence of TE level on performance variables was explored using polynomial contrasts. Pen was used as the experimental unit. Quadratic responses to TE level supplementation on final weight and average daily gain were observed (P = 0.05), mean values of ADG were 0.214, 0.242, 0.236, and 0.220 kg/d for CTRL, TE15, TE30, and TE45 treatments, respectively. Dry matter intake was not affected by treatments (P = 0.38). Feed conversion (feed/gain ratio) responded in a quadratic form (P < 0.01) to tannin extract supplementation level, with mean values of 4.61, 4.06, 4.25, and 4.75 kg of DMI/kg of gain, for treatments containing 0, 0.15, 0.30, and 0.45% of tannin extract in dietary DM, respectively. It is concluded, that addition of tannin extract to the diet improves in a quadratic manner the feedlot performance of finishing hair lambs, and the better supplementation level could be between 0.15 and 0.3% of dietary dry matter.

Keywords: Feedlot-performance, Lambs, Tannins.