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Title:
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Does forage type (grazing vs. hay) fed to ewes before and after lambing affect suckling lambs performance, meat quality and consumer purchase intention?
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Author:
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Álvarez Rodríguez, Javier; Joy, Margalida; Sanz Pascua, Albina; Ripoll, Guillermo; Panea, B; Ripoll Bosch, Raimon; Blasco, Isabel
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Notes:
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The aim of the study was evaluate the use of forage diets (grazing pasture vs. hay) around
ewe parturition on the performance and meat quality of suckling lambs (10–12 kg bodyweight).
Forty-eight multiparous single bearing ewes from the Churra Tensina breed were
used. The experimental treatments were conducted during the last 5 weeks of pregnancy
(pre-partum period) and the 5 weeks of lactation (post-partum period) in a 2 × 2 factorial
design. Ewes were fed ad libitum on mountain pastures or pasture hay. Hay was made in
late spring from the same pasture paddocks to those grazed in autumn. Results showed that
ewes body-weight (BW) and body condition score (BCS) were not affected by forage type
feed around ewe parturition. The week post-partum had a more determinant effect on milk
production and composition than forage type pre- and post-partum. The energy-corrected
milk yield peaked on first week of lactation (1.39 l/day, P < 0.05), and decreased significantly
from week 3 post-partum onwards (1.29 l/day vs. 1.02 l/day, P < 0.05). Forage type supplied
to ewes during the pre-partum period did not affect any of the studied variables on lambs.
During post-partum period forage type had effect on lamb ADG, which was higher in grazing
system than in hay feed (259 g/day vs. 220 g/day). Consequently, age at slaughter was
greater in lambs raised by ewes receiving hay post-partum compared to grazing ewes (36
days vs. 32 days, P < 0.05). Caudal fat colour was affected only by post-partum forage type,
showing grazing group greater redness, yellowness and absolute value of the integral of the
translated spectrum (SUM) than that forage type (P < 0.05). Carcasses from lambs raised by
post-partum grazing ewes led to a muscle with lower lightness and yellowness and greater
redness than hay forage type (P < 0.05). Lambs whose dams grazed presented a higher visual
appraisal score at cutting time, however these differences disappeared as time advanced.
Grazing forage had a positive effect on consumer purchasing decision (P < 0.10). In conclusion,
forage type in pre-partum period did not affect the studied parameters whereas ewes
grazing on mountain pastures after autumn-lambing improved lamb performance without
any detrimental effect on carcass and instrumental meat quality.
The authors wish to thank the staff of ‘La Garcipollera’ and of ‘CITA de Aragón’ for their assistance in sample collec- tion and analysis. Special thanks to J.H. Calvo, I. Casasús and M. Blanco for their assistance and suggestions. This study was funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation of Spain and European Union Regional Development funds (INIA RTA-2008-0098-C00). The present study is dedicated to the memory of Teresa Fustero. |
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Subject(s):
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-Milk yield and quality
-Fat colour
-Meat colour
-Sensory analysis |
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Rights:
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(c) Elsevier, 2011
info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess |
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Document type:
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article
publishedVersion |
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Published by:
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Elsevier
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Share:
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