COMPARISON OF MILK REPLACERS OR EWE MILK, WITH OR Y/I.THOUT SOLID FEED. ON LAMB PERFORMANCE AND MEAT QUALITY

COMPARISON OF MILK REPLACERS OR EWE MILK, WITH OR Y/I.THOUT SOLID FEED. ON LAMB PERFORMANCE AND MEAT QUALITY 1.. D. L. GORRILL,'C. D. T. CAMERON,',,U J. E. COMEAU,' J. W. G. NICHOLSON,'nd ELIZABETH LARMOND- Re.serch Sttions, Agriculture Cnd,'Fredericton, New Brunswick, 2Lennorville, Quibec, nd "L PoctiDre, Qutbec, nd nagriculture Cnd Food Reserch Institute, Ottw, Ontrio. Received 31 Oct. 1973, ccepted 7 Feb. 1974. Gonnrrr, A. D. L., C.rurnoN, C. D. T., Coureu, J. E., NrcHol-sox, J' W. G. eno LenvtoNn, Elrz.rsprn. 1974. Comprison of milk replcers or ewe milk, with or without solid feed, on lmb performnce nd met qulity. Cn. J. Anim. Sci. 54: 149*155. Performnce nd crcss chrcteristics of lmbs fed cold milk replcers, with or without concentrtes nd hy, were compred with lmbs sucking the ewe in three experimernts. Lmbs sucking the ewe or fed commercil lmb milk replcer (Ewelc). without ccess to creep feed, mde greter dily liveweight gins to 18 kg, nd the crcsses hd higher dressing yield, more ft covering nd pler len met, ccrmpred with lmbs fed experimentl milk repl'cers contining 15 to 35Vo ft (ir dry bsis). Differences in lmb performnce due to liquid diets (provided by ewes or different milk replcers) were smll when the lmbs were wened t 3 to 4 wk of ge, nd fed concentrtes nd hy to slughter t 18 or kg liveweight. However, growth rtes of the lmbs fed solid diets to 18 kg were lower, nd crcss dressing yields were less (42 vs.50%), with less ft covering nd drker len met, compred with lmbs fed only liquid diets. Tste pnel evlution on met indicted good lmb flvor nd tenderness from ll lmbs killed t 18 kg liveweight. Mortlit,/ due to 'bomsl blot ws reltively high in two experiments. This ws ttributerl in prt to the filure to keep the milk replcer cold, nd low ft level (15% in ir dry solids) in one milk replcer. On co.mpr6 dns trois experiences le rendement et les crct6ristiques de crcsses d'gneux nourris d'liments d'lliternent froids, vec ou sns concentr6s, et de foin, vec celles d'gneux i I'llitement nturel. Les gneux i l'llitement nturel ou nourris d'liments d'llitement commerciux (Ewelc), sns linenttion d l d6rob6e, ont r6lis6, jusqu'i ce qu'ils tteignent 18 kg, des gins de poids vif quotidiens plus 61ev6s et leurs crcsses ont donn6 un meilleur rendeme.nt )r l'bttge, plus de gms de couverture et une vinde migre plus pile que les rgneux nourris d'liments d'llitement exp6rimentux contennt de 15 i 35Vo de:mtidre grsse (exprim6e en produit s6ch6 )r I'ir). Les diff6rences de rendement des gneux r6sultnt des r6gimes liquides (fournis pr les brebis ou pr diff6rents liments d'llitement) 6tient minimes lorsque les gneux vient 6t6 sevr6s i 3 ou 4 semines et vient 6t6 nourris de concentr6s et de foin jusqu'd I'bttgie i 18 ou kg de poids vif. Toutefois, les tux de croissnce des gneux nourris cl'liments solides jusqu'i ce qu'ils tteignent l8 kg 6tient plus fibles et le rendement )r l'bttge 6tit inf6rieur (42 contre 50%), l couverture de grs moins 6pisse et l vinde migre plus fonc6e que chez les gneux nourris seulement de liquides. Le jury de d6gusttion indiqu6 que l vinde vit bon goirt et 6tit tendre pour tous les gneux bttus i 18 kg de poids vif. L mortlit6 cus6e pr I'bomsite 6t6 reltivernent 6lev6e dns les deux exp6riences. On ttribu6 ce 16- sultt en prtie i I'impossibilit6 de grder I'liment d'llitement froid et un fible niveu de mtidre grsse (157o de mtidre seche obtenue pr s6chge) dns un des liments d'llitement. uretired (C.D.T.C.) Cn. J. Anim. Scl. 54: 149-155 (June 1974) 149

150 CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE A prcticl method is required for rering lmbs independent of the ewes. High mortlity of the lmb crop cn nd often does result from the bsence, or n indequte supply, of milk from the ewe. Under intensive systems of sheep mngement, it my be necessry to rise greter proportion of the lmbs on milk replcer. Stisfctory growth nd perforrnnce of lmbs fed milk replcers hve been reported (Bkker 1968; Brisson nd Bouchrd 1970; Glimp 1972; Gorrill et l. 1971; Trecher 1973). There is considerble demnd for lightweight crcsses from lmbs killed when bout 20 kg liveweight. However, little reserch dt hve been reported on the effects of diet on performnce nd crcss chrcteristics of lightweight lmbs. Three experiments were conducted to compre the performnce of lmbs either left with the ewe or fed severl milk replcer formuls. Performnce nd crcss chrcteristics of lightweight nd conventionl finished lmbs were lso comnred for vrious prewening tretments. Tble l MATERIALS AND METHODS The lmbs used on the experiments were from Leicester X Suffolk ewes which were wintered indoors nd fed good qulity grss-legume hy nd silge. In ddition, strting pproximtely 4 wk prior to lmbing ech ewe ws fed dily 0.25 kg of concentrte mixture (60Vo corn, 25% ots, 7l.3Vo soyben mel nd. 3.7Vo minerl supplement). At lmbing the concentrte llownce for the ewes nursing the lmbs ws incresed to 0.5 kgldy. The ewes hd ccess to minerl nd wter supplies. All ewes were treted for internl prsites. Experiment I Forty-eight pirs of twin lmbs were used. One lmb from ech pir ws left with the ewe; the other ws llotted eqully ccording to sex to either n experimentl milk replcer contining 15% ft (Tble 1) or clf milk replcer (veler) contining 2O7o ft (4.62Vo N, 5.17 kcl energy/g DM). The ingredient composition of the veler ws not vilble. Hlf the lmbs on the ewes or milk replcers were killed t 74 t 0.5 kg liveweight; the other hlf were wened t 14 -f 0.5 kg nd fed concentrtes nd hy to :! 1 kg liveweight. Lmb milk replcer experimentl formuls nd chemicl nlyses Experiment Ingredients 2l -)t Lrd (edible) Tllow (blechble fncy) Coconut oil Ft premix+ Soyben lecithin High het skim milk powder (spry-dried) Sodium cseinte Glucose monohydrte Diclcium phosphte Coblt-iodized slt Trce minerl slt Minerl premu Vitmin premix Aurofc- l01t Chemicl nlyses (DM bsis) Clculted ft (7c) Nitrogen (s.) Energy (kcl/g) 50.0 39.8 6.4 1.5 1.0 0.36$ 0.70$ 0.2s 16 4.24 4.82 30.0 1.O t.o 593 '-' -tt o.25 4.02 6.35 2e:r 0.9 65.5 1o o 0.25 )L 4.08 5.'74 ithe h,'moeenrzcll. \lrrj dried fofn)uls were prepred b! Murul Producls Ltcl., Mo[isburg. Otts +Lnd-O-Lke\: hnmogenizcj. \nf)-dricd mixture of 30% choice white grese plus lecithin nd 707. skim milk pou,der $Mixture reported by Gonill nd Nicholson (1969). i /To supply I I,000. 2.200 nd 26 IU/kg of virmins A,D.E, respeoively lcynmid of Cnd Ltd., Monrrel; f0 g ureomycin/4s4 I

GORRILL ET AL.-DIETARY REGIMES FOR LAMBS 151 Lrnbs rered on milk replcer were removed from the ewe tl2-4 dys of ge nd plced in groups of six for ech milk replcer. Cold 20% solids milk replcer ws fed d libitum from nipples ttched t,3 polyethylene tubes immersed in the liquid diet outside the pen (Lrge nd Penning 1967). Since there ws no provision to keep the milk rep,lcer cold, fresh supply ws dded twice dily. The nipples, tubes nd continers were wshled every dy. Wter, pig prestrter pellets, nd hy (Tble 2) were offered tc, ll lmbs t 2-4 dys of ge. Lmbs wened t 14 kg, to be slughtered t kg, were fed pig prestrter pellets nd hy until 17.5 -f 0.5 kg liveweight, nd were then fed pig grower pellets nd hy d libitum' Commercilly prepred pig feeds were used becuse of their vilbility nd high digestible nitrogen nd energy content. Hot crcss weights nd numericl rting of externl ft covering, from 1 with little or no ft to 10 with urriform ft, were recorded. Experirnent 2 Sixty mle lmbr; t 1 or 2 dys of ge were llotted to six trr:tments in 3 X 2 fctoril design. Three pretvening dietry tretments consisted of lmbs left on the ewe, or removed from the ewe t 1 dy of ge nd fed either n experimentl (Tbkr 1), or commercil milk replcer (Ewelc, nrnufctured by L. E. Pritchett & Co., Irelnd; 4.23Vo N, 38% ft, 5.84 kcl,/g DM, ingredient ccmposition not vilble). Hlf the lmbs on eilch prewening tretment re- Tble 2. Nitrogen nd energl content ol-concentrtes nd hy (DM bsis) Prestrter Grower Strter Loction A Strter Loction B Strter Nitrogen (q") Experiment I 4.14 2.91 1.30 Experiment 2 3.26 1.47 Experiment 3 2.99 3.34 3.50 2.61 Gross energy (kcl/g) 5.06 4.7 4 4.33 4.86 4.18 5.46 4.31 4.49 ceived only milk replcer or ewe's milk (lmbs on ewes hd ccess to the ewe's diet) to 18 f 0.5 kg body wt; the other hlf were bruptly wened t 12! I kg body wt or 30 dys of ge, whichever occurred first, nd were fed pig strter pellets nd hy (Tble 2) d libitum from the beginning of the test. All lmbs were killed t 18 + 0.5 kg liveweight. Ech of the four groups of 10 lmbs fed one of the two milk replcers, with or without solid feed, ws held in one pen on n expnded metl floor. Cold 20% solids milk replcer ws fed d libitum from tet br (Gorrill et l. 1971) with three nipples/10 lmbs. The milk replcer ws kept cold by continuously circulting it through the tet br by smll nylon ger pump from supply mintined t 3 f 1 C. The entire tet br nd return lines were thoroughly wshed three times week. Wter nd trce-minerl slt were vilble t ll times. Ech lmb ws injected with 0.25 ml of vitmin E nd Se mixture (Dystosel, Roger/STB, London. Ont.) within few dys of birth. They were vccinted for enterotoxemi t bout 10 nd gin t 24 dys of ge using hlf the dosge recommended for feeder lmbs. The lmbs were docked but not cstrted. Hot crcss weights nd numericl rtings for externl ft covering nd color of the len met (1 to 10, with 1 being the plest) were recorded. Four crcsses (leg of lmb) from ech tretment were evluted for met qulity. The met ws stored t -235 C, then thwed t 4 C for 48 h, nd cooked in ovens t 154 C until the internl temperture of the met reched 88 C. Weights before nd.fter cooking were recorded, nd weight loss during cooking nd percent drippings clculted. A tste pnel evluted nd described the met for flvor nd tenderness on 6- nd 8-point scles, respectively. Experiment 3 Ninety-six mle lmbs t 2 to 3 dys of ge were llotted to 2 X 2 X 2 fctoril design. Either n experimentl (Tble 1) or commercil (Ewelc) milk replcer ws fed. Hlf the lmbs received only milk replcer to 18 t 0'5 kg liveweight; the other hlf were wened s in Experiment 2 nd fed pelleted pig strter nd hy from the beginning of the test to 18 kg liveweight. Hlf the lmbs on ech of the four dietry tretments were t ech of two loctions (Lennoxville, A; L Poctidre, B). CoId 20% solids milk replcer ws fed by grvity from refrigerted continer to tet br (Gorrill et l. 1971). The refrigertion unit t Loction B, however, ws indequte nd

t52 CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE the milk replcer grdully reched mbient temperture over ech 24-h period. Feeding nd mngement of lmbs were generlly similr to Experiment 2. At Loction A lmbs on strter nd hy were bruptly wened s in Experiment 2. At Loction B, lmbs on these tretments were grdully wened over 5-dy period, beginning t 2l dys of ge. All lmbs t Loction B were killed t 18 + 0.5 kg liveweight. Hot crcss weights nd numericl rtings for externl ft coverins nd color of len met were recorded Sttisticl Anlyses Dt on individul lmbs were sr.rbjected to nlysis of vrince, using unequl nurnbers of lmbs per tretment, due to mortlity. Stndrd errors (SE) were ciculted using error men squre nd the totl number of lmbs in the nlysis. Stndrd errors of the difference between two mens were clculted for the met evlu_ tion dt. RESULTS Experiment I Lmbs sucking the ewes gined significntly fster to 14 kg liveweieht (p < 0.001) thn those on milk replcers (Tble 3). However, weight gins to kg were not significntly ffected by the prewening tretments. Weight gins were similr for lmbs fed the veler or experimentl milk replcer. Mle Imbs gined 244 g/ dy compred with 224 g/dy for femles to kg (P < 0.05). Prewening diet generlly hd no effecl on verge dry mtter (DM) intke in ech tretment group. Feed efficiency could not be clculted for lmbs on the ewe. Those on either milk replcer required bout 1.5 nd 4 kg DM/kg liveweight gin to 14 nd kg, respectively. Lmb mortlity, due mostly to bomsl blot while fed milk replcer, ws reltively nrsn. -Cu..us dressing per cent nd externl ft covering of lmbs nursing ewes until slughter t 14 kg were greter (P ( 0.01) thn for those fed either milk replcer. Prewening diet hd no effect on crcss dressing per cent nd ft cover of lmbs killed t kg liveweight. Experiment 2 Lmbs nursing their dms or fed Ewelc without creep feed mde greter weight gins (P < 0.05) thn those fed the experimentl milk replcer (Tble 4). When the lmbs were wened from the ewe or from milk replcer t 3-4 wk of ge nd fed concentrte nd hy to 18 kg, prewening diet hd no effect on weight gins to 18 kg. However, weight gins of lmbs wened on- Tble 3 Performnce of lmbs fed three different liquid diets to 14 kg, or liquid diet plus solid feed to kg liveweight (Exp. 1)i Liquid diet: Slughter wt (kg): Criteri Initil body wt (kg) Body wt gins (g/dy) Strt to 14 kg Strt ro kg DM consumption (g/lmb/dy) Milk replcer Concentrte Huy DM consumed/wt gin Mortlityf Crcss dt Wrm dressing 7c Ft cover score ti 3.66 J(J:) l6 13 0124 53 '7.9 Ewe 3.s4 295 ) /1 sio 280 /)t 45 8.6 Exptl. milk replcer I4 3.89,r_t 290 3l t. /) 4112 45 ).o -1. o-) 246 228 347 567 28s 4.11 2l12 42 8.4 T4 J -4r) tlt 251 19 J-l 1.29 4t1) 44 5.0 Veler SE 3.6'7 0.34 248 4 ft< / 268 564 261 3.90 3l12 44 8.7 0.4 0.1 thqul numberr.of mdle\ nd femdles uere plced on ech trermenl. +\umber oi lmb\ died!s. number or'lmb\ 5tdled on tc\t.

GORRILL ET AL.-DIETARY REGIMES FOR LAMBS 153 'ble 4. Performnc: of lmbs nursing their dms or fed milk replcer, with or without solid feed to I 8 kg liveweight (Exp. 2) Licluid diet Ewe Ewelc Exptl. milk replcer Solid feed SE )riteri nitil body wt (kg) 3.43 Vt gins to 18 kg (g/dy) 272 )M consumption (g/lmb/dy) Milk replcer Concentrte )M consumed/wt ginl vroniry+ lrcss tlt Wrm dressing 7c Ft cover score Color score t4et evlution Oven-redy wt (kg) Cooking rte (mh/kg) Cooking wt loss (7c of oven-redy rvt) Drippings (7c of ovc:n-redy wt) Flvor score$ Tenderness score// t-19 50 7.9.1.O 1.18 95 26.1 / -).+ 5.8 3.24 220 166 188 019 ^ 4.1 6.9 1.19 96 lo.+ 3.1 4) 5.1 4.13 2'74 414 l 84 0i l0 50 6.9 5.3 1. 97 28.5 6.5 3.9 5.8 lclculted from the lotl DM intke nd totl weight gin tbr ech group of lmbs inumber of lmbs died vs. rumber of lmbs strted on testisix point scle from I (very poor) to 6 (excellent). '/Eighlpoirt scle from I (extremely roush) to 8 (extremeiy tender). to solid food were less thn for those on the ewe or Ewelc to 18 kg. The tretments compred hd little effect on feed intke nd efficiency (Tble 4). About 2 kg of JDM were required to produce I kg of wt gin to 18 kg body wt. One lmb died on ech of the ewe nd experimentl milk replcer tretments. One lmb mde negligible weight gins fter being wened from the ewe t 12 kg, nd ws removed from t.he experiment. Crcsses from lmbs nursing their dms or fed milk replcers without cre p feed hd higher dressing per cent (50 vs. 42; P I 0.001), nd hd more ft cover nd lighter colored len me,t thn those from lmbs wened t 12 klg nd fed concentrte nd hy. Met evlution studies indicted no significnt differences mong dietry tretments for cooking rte, weight loss during cooking, weight of drippings, flvor or tenderness scores of leg of lmb (Tble 4). The 4.38 ))/ 4lo 163 114 2.06 0/r0 3.6 8.1 1.16 100 z).1 3.7 4.0 5.3 A )) 2t5 '2', 1.96 r/ l0 50 5.2 6.2 1.32 88 30.6 ).2 4.0 5.4 4.16 0.10 210 1 355 t72 1t2 2.06 0/lo 43 3.7 7.'.I.1'7 9l 0.4 0.2 0.2 4 28.1 2.8 4.0 1.3 3.9 1.8 4.8 1.8 tste pnel judged ll met smples to hve distinct lmb flvor, nd to be slight to moderte in tenderness. However, met from lmbs fed only milk replcer until slughter tended to be sweet nd blnd, compred with slightly bitter ofi-flvors from some lmbs wened erly nd fed concentrte nd hy. Experiment 3 Lmbs fed Ewelc to 18 kg mde greter weight gins (P < 0.01) nd consumed more milk replcer DM thn lmbs on the remining three tretments t Loction B (Tble 5). There ws no significnt effect of dietry tretment on weight gins of lmbs t Loction A. Mortlity ws high for lmbs on ll tret' ments t Loction B. Some of these deths were due to bomsl blot, nd others to undetermined cuses. Crcsses from lmbs fed only Ewelc dressed higher, hd more finish nd lighter

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GORRILL ET' AL._DIEI'ARY REGIMES FOR LAMBS 155 colored len mlet (P < 0.01) thn those from lmbs fed the experimentl milk replcer or fed either milk replcer plus concentrte nd hy. DISCUSSION Lmbs tht nursed their dms or were fed Ewelc hd superior growth rte, nd crcss yield nd rqulity when killed t 14-18 kg liveweight, c:ompred with lmbs fed experimentl mill< replcers contining l5 to 3OVo ft. However, when the lmbs were wened onto solid feed t 3-4 wk of ge, performnce to 18 or kg liveweight ws similr for ll prewening liquid diets. Crcsses from these erly wened lmbs killed t 18 kg livevzeight hd low dressing per cent (39-42Vo),, lcked finish, nd hd reltively drk colored len met. At lest prt of this effect on the crcss my hve been ttributed to ul norml setbck in growth when lmbs re wened t 3-4 wk of ge. On the bsis of met evlution dt, consumer cceptrrce of lightweight lmb rised on milk replcer with or without concentrte nd hy should be stisfctory. The reltive importnce of "white" lmb in lightweight crcsses hs not been estblished. However, it would seem dvisble to feed good qulity milk replcer without concentrte nd hy to produce lightweight lmb crcsses. The economics of such feeding system would depend on the demnd nd premium pricer for this Product. From 1.4 to 2.1 kg of milk replcer DM were required to produce 1 kg of liveweight gin, which ws considerbly more thn the l: I rtio repcrrted by Lrge nd Penning (1966). Feed efficiency to 18 kg liveweight for lmbs wened onto solid feed t 3-4 weeks of ge ws not pprecibly lower thn tht for lmbs fed only milk replcer. Flowever, becuse of differences in crcss dressing per cent, the DM intke required to produce unit increse in crcss weight must be consi.dered. Bsed on our results, the liveweight of lmbs fed concentrte nd hy would hive to be 22 kg to yield the sme crcss rveight s 18-kg lmbs fed only milk replcer. Lmb mortlity ws reltively high in two of the three experiments reported here. Abomsl blot nd other digestive upsets which occurred my be relted prtly to d libitum feeding of milk replcer which grdully reched room temperture of L5-20 C (Bkker 1968). Digestive upsets hve been miniml or bsent when the milk replcer ws kept t bout 5 C nd fed d libitum (Gorrill et l. 1971)' Glimp (1972) reported more bomsl blot in lmbs fed 2OVo ft milk replcer compred with 3O7o ft formul. The low ft level used in Experiment 1 my hve contributed to this oroblem. It is concluded tht good qulity, hightt (30-35%, ir dry) milk replcer must be fed cold d libitum to produce stisfctory crcsses from liveweight lmbs. Poorer quitlty, lower ft milk replcers my be fed to lmbs tht re subsequently wened t 3 4 wk of ge nd rered on solid feed, but t the risk of higher mortlity. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Apprecition is expressed to R. Suitor nd stff ilennoxville, nd to R. C. Bergeron nd stfl t L Poctidre for technicl ssistnce. BAKKER. IL TJ. 1968. Considertions rising from erly wening techniques of frm nimls' World Rev. Anim' Prod. 4(18): 34-52. BRISSON, G. J. nd BOUCHARD' R' 1970' Artificil rering of lmbs: feeding cold milk d libitum versus wrm milk three times per dy to ppetite, nd effects of n ntibiotic-vitminiron^ iupplement on growth performnce nd digestibility of diet constituents. J. Anim' Sci' 31:810-815. GLIMP, H. A. 1972. Effect of diet composition on performnce of lmbs rered from birth on mili replcer. J. Anim. Sci. 34: 1085-1088' GORRILL, A. D. L., MACINTYRE, T. M' nd VEERKAMP, A. l. 1971. A tet br for group feeding cold liquid diets to lmbs. Cn. J' Anim' Sci.5l: 256-258. GORRILL, A. D. L. nd NICHOLSON' J. W' G. 1969. Effect of dded bulk on growth, nutrient utiliztion, digestive system nd dirrhe in clves fed milk replcer' Cn. J' Anim' Sci' 49: 305-3 1 3. LARGE, R. V. nd PENNING' P' D' 1967' The rtificil rering of lmbs on cold reconstitued whole milk nd on milk substitute. J' Agric' Sci' 69:5-9. TREACHER, T. T. 1973. Artificil rering of lmbs: review. Vet. Rec' 92: 3ll'315.