GROWTH AND CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS OF LAMBS FED AMMONIATED CORN STRAWAND GLIRICIDIA-SEPIUM OR COTTON-SEED MEAL

Thirty crossbred Katahdin X Blackbelly ewe lambs and 30 ram lambs of t he same cross of 19 kg BW and 3 months age were randomly assigned for a period of 105 d to one of the following diets: grazing on Pennisetum purpureum (PP), ammoniated corn straw (ACS) and cotton-seed meal (CSM ); ACS and Gliricidia sepium (GS); com straw (CS) and CSM; and CS and GS. Ammoniation increased the in vitro digestibility of the OM (IVDOM) from 50.5 to 68.5% and the CP from 4.6 to 19.8%. Ammoniation signific antly increased straw DM consumption from 2.8% to 3.0% average BW, but not average daily gains (65.0 and 70.5 g, respectively). In both type s of straw, gains were higher with CSM than with GS. PP gave intermedi ate gains. While there were no differences between com treatments in f inal live weight, the carcasses of lambs fed ACS were significantly he avier (13.3 and 10.7 kg, respectively), dressing percentages were ACS 48%, CS 42.5% and PP 45.0%. Ammoniation of com stover did not affect A DG; however, had a positive effect on intake, carcass weight and dress ing percentage.