Carcass and meat quality of “Leccese” breed lambs suckling from ewes fed diets containing vegetable by-pass protein

Abstract

It is considered necessary to supplement the majority of dietary proteins for the rearing of goats and sheep (Pulina et al., 1990; Robinson, 1987). In ruminants, 70 % of protein requirement is satisfied by cytoplasmic synthesised protein, while the remaining 30 % is provided by the regular diet. In juvenile animals, when the rumen is not completely developed (Donkin et al., 1987; Thaler et al., 1992), bacterial proteins are not sufficient to satisfy the protein requirements. Naturally available sheep diet is deficient in the proteins required and contributes to low efficiency in protein utilisation in these species (Corino et al., 1995; Rossi et al., 1991)...

Keywords

• suckling lambs, by-pass soy bean, carcass, meat.