373 Growth Performance, Efficiency of Dietary net Energy Utilization, and Carcass Traits of Lambs Supplemented Encapsulated Butyric Acid and Zinc Abruptly Transitioned to a Finishing Diet. (21st September 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Francis, Forest L; Ribeiro, Thiago Maia; Gubbels, Erin R; LaFleur, Doug; Hergenreder, Jerilyn; Smith, Zachary K
• Is Part Of: Journal of animal science. Volume 100(2022)Supplement 3
• Page Start: 180
• Page End: 181
• Publication Date: 2022-09-21
• Subjects: butyric acid -- feedlot -- wether; Livestock -- Periodicals; Livestock; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 636.005
• DOI: 10.1093/jas/skac247.332
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0021-8812

Abstract

Abstract: The objective of this study was to determine if supplementing encapsulated butyric acid and zinc (BZ) in lambs abruptly transitioned to a finishing diet has effects on growth performance, efficiency of dietary net energy utilization, and carcass traits following a 59.5 d finishing period. Polypay wethers (n = 32; initial shrunk BW = 39 kg ± 4.8 kg) were grouped by initial shrunk BW and assigned to dietary treatment (CON: 0 g BZ/kg diet DM; BZ: 2 g BZ/kg diet DM) in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with pen (n = 16) as experimental unit. Wethers were abruptly transitioned from growing diet (based upon grass hay, dried distillers grains plus solubles, and a soybean meal based pellet; 1.65 Mcal/kg NEm, 0.95 Mcal/kg NEg) to finishing diet (based upon whole corn, soybean hulls, and a soybean meal pellet; 2.02 Mcal/kg NEm, 1.33 Mcal/kg NEg) upon study initiation. Lambs were harvested at the South Dakota State University meat lab and empty body measures and carcass traits were recorded. Growth performance was calculated on a shrunk live basis (BW × 0.96). Data were analyzed as an RCBD with fixed effect of treatment and random effect of block. No differences (P ≥ 0.15) were observed for final shrunk BW, ADG, DMI, feed conversion efficiency, observed-to-expected (O:E) DMI, O:E NEm, O:E NEg, EBW, dressed yield, or HCW. Percentage of boneless closely trimmed retail cuts (BCTRC) and red meat yield (RMY) were decreased (P = 0.03) for BZ vs. CON. Body wall thickness was increased (P = 0.02) for BZ vs. CON. Supplementing wethers BZ during an abrupt transition to a finishing diet had no effects on growth performance, efficiency of dietary net energy, or empty body measures and had minor effects on body wall thickness, percentage BCTRC, and RMY.