Av. Ferreira et al., Amino acid requirements of South African Mutton Merino lambs 2. Essential aminoacid composition of the whole empty body, S AFR J AN, 29(1), 1999, pp. 27-39
Citations number
43
Categorie Soggetti
Animal Sciences
Journal title
SOUTH AFRICAN JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE-SUID-AFRIKAANSE TYDSKRIF VIR VEEKUNDE
The essential amino acid (EAA) composition of the whole empty body of South
African Mutton Merino ram lambs fed a standard diet was investigated. The
standard diet consisted (%) of 30 lucerne, 8 wheat straw, 56.25 maize meal,
3.5 molasses meal, 1 urea, 0.5 salt and 0.75 ammonium chloride. Twenty lam
bs were randomly allocated to four pre-assigned average target slaughter we
ights (30, 35, 40 and 45 kg live weight): The EAA composition of the carcas
s, blood, head and feet, skin 8 wool, liver, lungs, kidneys, heart, spleen,
testis, digesta-free gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and whole empty body was
determined. The composition of the whole empty body remained similar regar
dless of slaughter weight. The concentration of the following EAAs increase
d significantly (p < 0.05) with increasing live weight (30, 35, 40 and 45 k
g): head & feet valine (3.87(a), 5.56(ab), 5.68(ab), 6.70(b)), spleen pheny
lalanine (4.96(a), 5.00(a), 5.07(ab), 5.56(b)) and valine (5.31(a), 5.50(ab
), 5.69(ab), 6.03(b)) as well as GIT phenylalanine (5.00(a), 6.50(a), 11.10
(a), 18.78(b)). The amino acid composition of the carcass, skin and wool, a
nd GIT plays a predominant role in regression equations used to predict the
whole empty body EAA composition. The whole empty body EAA composition (g
AA/100 g crude protein) was as follows: 7.72 arginine; 4.54 histidine; 3.06
isoleucine; 8.53 leucine; 6.46 lysine; 3.56 methionine; 5.22 phenylalanine
; 4.65 threonine and 5.18 valine. This composition can serve as an example
of the ideal EAA requirements for whole empty body growth between 30 and 45
kg live weight of South African Mutton Merino ram lambs.