Effects of legume seeds and processing treatment on growth, carcass traits and blood constituents of fattening lambs

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of faba bean, white lupin and pea seed when fed as protein supplements on growth performance, carcass characteristics and haematological characteristics of growing lambs. Forty-eight Gentile di Puglia male lambs, weaned at 38 ± 2 days old with an average initial bodyweight of 12.8 ± 0.5 kg, were divided into six homogenous groups. The six dietary treatments were RFB (diet containing raw faba bean seeds); EFB (diet containing extruded faba bean seeds); RL (diet containing raw lupin seeds); EL (diet containing extruded lupin seeds); RP (diet containing raw pea seeds); and EP (diet containing extruded pea seeds). Feeding lupin seeds reduced average daily feed intake compared with the other protein sources. Carcass conformation, loin weight as a percentage of half-carcass weight, and fat weight as a percentage of loin weight improved in the lambs that consumed both EP and RP diets. Extrusion reduced hide weight as a percentage of empty bodyweight and fat weight as a percentage of leg weight. The protein source had a significant effect on glucose and total cholesterol concentrations, albumin, α1-globulin, β-globulin, and γ-globulin percentages and albumin-globulin ratios. The processing treatment decreased total cholesterol concentrations. Thus, feeding the various legumes did not affect growth performance, but only carcass characteristics; changes which may be due to the differences in feed intake. Extrusion also had minor effects, and further work is required to investigate the use of these protein sources, both raw and extruded.Keywords: extrusion, faba bean, haematology, lupin, pea, protein source, slaughter dat

Effect of an extruded linseed diet on meat quality traits in Nero Lucano pigs

The study aimed to evaluate the effect of a diet containing extruded linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) on growth performances, carcass traits and meat quality in Nero Lucano pigs. Sixteen male piglets were weaned at about 50 days of age and divided into two homogeneous groups fed a control diet (C) or a diet containing 3% extruded linseed (EL). The trial lasted 32 weeks and pigs were slaughtered at 9 months of age. Samples from the Longissimus dorsi (Ld) muscle were analysed to assess physical and chemical parameters and intramuscular fatty acid composition. Average daily gain, feed intake and feed conversion ratio were not affected by the diet. Pigs fed the C diet showed a significantly greater slaughter weight in comparison to the EL group (116.50 vs 108.25 kg) Meat pH and chemical composition were not influenced by the diet. No differences were found for shear force (WBS) in raw meat, while cooked meat of the EL group showed a lower WBS value. The EL diet significantly lowered total SFA and increased total PUFA, of both n-6 and n-3 series. Among the n-6, significant differences between dietary treatments were found for linoleic acid. As for the n-3 series, EL feeding significantly enhanced linolenic acid, EPA, DPA and DHA. Feeding EL also significantly lowered the PUFA/SFA and n-6/n-3 ratios and the AI and TI, with benefits for human health. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with 3% EL didn't affect growth performance while it improved the fatty acid profile of meat. Keywords: fatty acid profile, feeding, flaxseed, por

Chemical and fatty acid composition of meat of wild boars fed on diets containing polyunsaturated fatty acids

The importance of wild boar rearing has already been discussed (Lucifero and Giorgetti 1987; Marsico et al., 1998), and is due to the animal’s ability to adapt to different rearing systems and to produce quality meat which satisfies the tendency of consumers to prefer genuine foods, lean and with low cholesterol, but rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, whose effects on heart diseases have been discussed by different authors, including Barsotelli and Berra (1994). The various qualitative and quantitative aspects of meat production have already been studied in relation to the type of feed and to slaughtering age (Laudadio et al., 1997; Vicenti et al., 1997; Marsico et al., 1999)..

Influence of feeding flushing and progestative treatment duration on reproductive performances in mutton sheep

Long progestative treatments (from 9 to 12 days) have been widely used for estrus induction and synchronization in past. However, these treatments worsen fertility in comparison with naturally induced estrus because they determine an hormonal disruption which affects the synchronicity between estrus and ovulation and hampers sperm transport inside the female reproductive tract (Pearce and Robinson, 1985; Scaramuzzi et al., 1988). Pregnant Mare Serum Gonadotrophin (PMSG) is administered, at different times, in order to improve the reproductive performances; however, it determines a high individual variability in the ovarian response (Martemucci et al., 1988)..

Influence of feeding flushing and of the progestative treatment duration on reproductive performance in mutton sheep

Influenza del flushing alimentare e della durata del trattamento progestativo sulle performance riproduttive in pecore da carne – Sono state utilizzate 360 pecore Gentile di Puglia, sottoposte a sincronizzazione degli estri, per valutare: a) l’influenza del flushing alimentare di breve durata (5-9 giorni) e b) la durata del trattamento progestativo (9 vs 5 giorni), sulle performance riproduttive. I risultati indicano che l’integrazione alimentare pre-accoppiamento con lupini e la riduzione del trattamento progestativo migliorano significativamente le performance riproduttive