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Background: Little information is available on carcass quality in nulliparous and primiparous ewes of different breeds and genetic groups. Objective: To evaluate the effect of genetic group, pregnancy, age and their interactions on carcass traits, meat quality and fatty acid profile in sheep. Methods: Eighty-five Santa Ines ewes and their crosses with Texel, Dorper and Ile de France, aged 12 month were bred with White Dorper rams to assess the influence of pregnancy on carcass composition and meat quality. After weaning, all ewes (nulliparous and primiparous) were fattened for slaughter at 21 months of age. A further 24 six to twenty one-month-old female lambs from the same genetic groups were included in the analysis to determine the fatty acid profile. Results: Genetic group affected muscle and fat weight as well as the eye muscle length. Fat weight, muscle and fat ratios, subcutaneous fat thickness and cooking loss were affected by pregnancy with nulliparous females being fatter. Meat purpose breeds such as Dorper, Texel and Ile de France showed better meat quality compared to the Santa Ines hair breed. Of the 19 identified fatty acids, saturated were present in greater quantities, especially stearic and palmitic. Omega-6 content was influenced by age and pregnancy. Conclusions: Younger and nulliparous females have better carcass quality in terms of fatty acid composition.

Abstract Background The use of agroindustrial by-products in ruminant nutrition to be an interesting alternative in order to reduce production costs and environmental impacts arising from the inadequate destination of residues. The initial step of beer production yields a large volume of wet brewer’s grains all year around, which is available at a low cost and has a high nutritional quality, and hence a big potential for animal production. Methods Twenty-four Suffolk non-castrated male lambs, from simple parturition were kept in individual spots and allocated to four treatments constituted by four levels of substitution of sorghum silage by WBG (i.e.0; 33.5; 66.5 and 100% of substitution). It was used roughage: concentrate rate of 50:50, based on dry matter. Results The ether extract intake increased while the acid detergent fiber intake decreased linearly (P ≤ 0.05). Substituion of sorghum silage by WBG did not change lambs’ feed DMI, daily weight gain and feed conversion. Conclusion The substitution of sorghum silage by WBG as roughage showed to be a viable alternative from the productive and economic point of view for finishing of feedlot lambs.

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of three levels of cull pinto beans (CPB) on animal performance, energy balance, and digestibility of hair ewes during pregnancy-lactation. One hundred and sixty-eight Pelibuey ewes were used (105 multiparous and 63 primiparous). Seven ewes of each type were randomly assigned to each of the 24 pens. Then, the twenty-four pens were randomly assigned to one of three treatments. Treatments were assigned on DM basis at: 0 g kg−1 of CPB in the supplement; 250 g kg−1 of CPB in the supplement; and 500 g kg−1 of CPB in the supplement. Data was analyzed by using the PROC MIXED of SAS. Lamb birth and weaning weight were also evaluated with the GLM procedure of SAS. All variables were analyzed as a completely randomized design. No differences among treatments were observed for body weight, body condition score, non-esterified fatty acids, and body weaning weight. During late pregnancy, dry matter intake was different among treatments, but it was similar during lactation. Body birth weight was different among treatments and showed a quadratic effect. At day 30 of lactation, a treatment effect was found for digestibility of dry matter (DM). At the end of lactation, digestibility of crude protein was different among treatments. In day 60 of lactation, differences among treatments were found for digestibility of neutral detergent fiber. Due to equal ewe performance among treatments of CPB and its low cost, its use is recommended in hair ewe feeding for these productive stages: 500 g kg−1 DM of the supplement during pregnancy and 400 g kg−1 DM during lactation.

The aim of this study was to investigate histology characteristics in the small intestine of Santa Ines lambs fed bovine or ovine colostrum. At 0 and 6 h of life, 12 newborn lambs received 250 ml of first milking bovine colostrum (BC) and another 12 animals received 250 ml of first milking ovine colostrum (OC). Samples of duodenum, jejunum and ileum were collected at 24 and 72 h of life. Six animals were sampled at birth, without colostrum intake (0 h). The histomorphologic analysis revealed differences between BC and OC groups in the jejunum and ileum segments. BC group had higher amounts of colostrum-filled vacuoles in the intestinal epithelium compared to OC group and the latter group had a higher number of empty vacuoles. However, at 72 h of life both groups revealed the end of the intestinal colostrum absorption. Regardless of the treatment, apical nuclei and vacuoles were mainly observed in the villi of animals at 0 and 24 h of life, and at 72 h the enterocytes had basal nuclei and cytoplasm without the presence of vacuoles. An interaction between treatment and period was observed in villus height and crypt depth in the jejunum (P < 0.05). In this segment, BC group showed the lowest villus height at 24 h of life (710.37 ± 115.79 µm) while OC group had the larger villus height (883.79 ± 207.24 µm) at 24 h than at 0 h of life (791.43 ± 129.19 µm) (P < 0.05). Lambs from BC group showed the deepest crypts at 72 h (157.15 ± 41.81 µm), followed by 24 h (100.08 ± 23.40 µm) and 0 h (84.89 ± 21.10µm), and in OC group the deepest crypts were observed at 0 h (84.89 ± 21.10 µm), without the colostrum ingestion (P < 0.0%). The effects of treatment on the crypt depth were observed in the ileum (P < 0.05), crypts in BC group were deeper than in OC group (92.67 ± 21.47 and 83.12 ± 13.85 µm, respectively). The histological changes related to the ingestion of bovine colostrum did not apparently determine any consequences for enteric physiology. Thus, the results concerning the histologic and histomorphometric aspects confirm a possibility of successfully using bovine colostrum as a substitute for ovine colostrum in newborn lambs.

Fasciolosis is a parasitic disease with high economic impact that strikes most domestic ruminants. It is caused by two species: Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica (Trematode class), and it causes considerable economic losses to the livestock industry, particularly due to the increased costs of anthelmintic treatment and mortality, with ensuing decreased meat, wool and milk yields. The global losses caused by Fabiolosis to animal productivity are estimated in USD $ 3.200 millions a year , with a total of 600 millions animals infected in rural farms, and from commercial farmers.

ABSTRACT The objective was to evaluate the effect of cull pinto beans (CPB) (Phaseolus vulgaris) on performance of feedlot lambs. Seventy-two crossbred hair-breed lambs (Dorper × Pelibuey and Kathadin × Pelibuey) were used (75±6 days old and 18.7±3.89 kg of initial body weight). Animals were fed twice daily. Diets consisted of 20% alfalfa hay and 80% concentrate based on ground sorghum grain and were formulated to contain 17.9% crude protein and 2.60 Mcal/kg metabolizable energy. Treatments were (dry matter basis): no CPB (0%), 10% CPB, and 20% CPB. Lambs were blocked by body weight and treatments and arranged in a 2 × 3 arrangement of treatments. Body weights were recorded initially and subsequently at 14-day intervals for a total 70 number of days. Dry matter intake was recorded daily. Apparent dry matter digestibility was predicted using insoluble acid detergent fiber. Data were analyzed as a randomized complete block design. Final body weight and average daily gain decreased linearly with increasing CPB level and were greater for males than females. A level × gender interaction was observed for dry matter and crude protein digestibility. Data for hot carcass weight and cold carcass weight decreased linearly as CPB level increased and were greater for males. Carcass yield, longissimus muscle area, and dressing percentage were greater for males. Dressing percentage quadratically increased as CPB level increased. Cull pinto beans are a suitable ingredient for feedlot hair-breed lambs, but the inclusion of more than 10% of CPB level decreases animal performance.