Growth performance and body composition of feedlot lambs fed refused melon fruit

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of replacing corn grain with refused melon fruit (RMF) in the diet on the intake and digestibility of nutrients, performance, carcass characteristics, and physical-chemical attributes of meat from lambs finished in feedlot. We used 30 male lambs of the Santa Inês breed, not castrated, with 18.3 ± 1.1 kg body weight and 120 days of life, feedlot in individual stalls for 71 days. The animals were fed at will with treatment diets containing 0 g/kg (control, without RMF), 100, 200, 300, or 400 g/kg of RMF in the dry matter of the total diet, in a forage: concentrate ratio of 30:70. There was a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in the intake of dry matter, neutral detergent fiber, non-fibrous carbohydrates, and metabolizable energy of the lambs receiving diets with the inclusion of RMF. The inclusion of RMF significantly decreased (P < 0.05) the final weight, average daily gain, and gross feed efficiency but did not influence (P > 0.05) the carcass weight and tissue composition of the shoulder. There was no significant effect (P > 0.05) of the inclusion of RMF on the physical-chemical characteristics of the meat, but the moisture content of the meat increased significantly (P < 0.05) with increasing RMF in the diet. We recommend including up to 300 g/kg of RMF in diets for lambs formulated to gain 0.2 kg/day and with a 30:70 forage: concentrate ratio.

Keywords: Agricultural residue; Cucumis melo; Feedlot sheep; Fruit byproduct; Sheep carcass.