Effects of sesame meal on intake, digestibility, rumen characteristics, chewing activity and growth of lambs

Abstract

Two experiments were carried out to determine ruminal degradability of sesame meal (SSM) and its effects on intake, digestibility, rumen parameters, chewing activity, and lamb performance when it replaced soybean meal (SBM). Degradability of dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) were determined with the nylon bag technique using three fistulated Zel ewes. The quickly and potentially degradable DM of SSM was lower, but their degradation rates of DM were similar. The quickly degradable protein in the SSM was greater, but the slowly degradable protein of SSM was lower. Potential degradable protein of SBM was greater. The degradation rate of protein was greater in the SSM. Thirty Zel lambs were assigned to five treatments, namely 1) control diet that contained SBM, and 2), 3), 4) and 5) diets that contained 25, 50, 75, and 100% DM of SSM partially or entirely replacing SBM and part of barley grain. There was no difference in the intakes of DM, CP, ether extract (EE), and non-fibre carbohydrate (NFC) among treatments, but neutral detergent fibre (NDF) intake increased when the SSM inclusion rate was increased. Digestibility of DM and EE, passage rate, and total mean retention time differed, but the digestibility of NDF, CP, and NFC, rumen liquid pH and NH₃-N, passage rate, rumen retention time, eating time, rumination, total chewing activity, DM intake, daily gain, feed conversation ratio, carcass yield and characteristics were not different between treatments. Replacing the SBM with SSM in lamb, improved intake, digestibility, and rumen condition, without reduction in performance and carcass composition.

Keywords: Carcass characteristic, feedlotting, lamb, mean retention time, ruminal degradability, soybean meal