The effect of the addition of wet brewers grain to the diet of lambs on body weight gain, slaughter valueand meat quality

Abstract

Wet brewers grain (WBG) is successfully used in animal nutrition, and due to its high fiber content, especially in ruminants. The low cost of this fodder also has an impact on the economic of production. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of adding WBG to lamb fodder on the body weight gain, slaughter value and meat quality. The experiment was conducted on 40 male lambs of Polish Lowland sheep. The lambs were divided into two feeding groups, the control and the experimental (20 heads in each group), and fattened to their slaughter weight of 40 kg (± 2.5 kg). In the experimental group 35 % WBG was added to the feed. Lambs fed with WBG were characterized by higher daily weight gains (P ≤ 0.01) and reached their slaughter body weight significantly faster (P ≤ 0.01). Furthermore, the carcasses of the WBG group showed better hind leg conformation (P ≤ 0.01) and a higher content of prime cuts (P ≤ 0.05). The meat of lambs fed on WBG also had a lighter color and a lower intramuscular fat content. Additionally, the meat of this group was also characterized by higher PUFA (P ≤ 0.01) and C18 : 2 cis9, trans11 fatty acid (P ≤ 0.01) contents. The results obtained indicate that WBS could be successfully used in slaughter lamb production as a source of readily available, cheap fodder, especially when fattening takes place a short distance from a brewery.