Effect of feeding different levels of date pits with growth promoters on carcass characteristics and meat quality merits of Naimi lambs

Abstract

Twenty five three months old Naimi lambs initially weighed 24.53+0.40 were used to test the effects of partially replacing barely with 30% or 50% crushed date pits (CDP) supplemented with or without a commercial enzyme mixture (CEM) as a natural growth promoter on carcass characteristics, fat deposition and meat quality merits of Naimi lambs. The lambs were randomly divided equally into five groups; control (0% CDP); T1 (30% CDP); T2 (30% CDP plus CEM); T3 (50% CDP); and T4 (50% of CDP plus CEM). The lambs were slaughtered after three months with final average weight 51.13+1.69 kg. The carcass characteristics and fat measurements were not significantly different except for liver, body fat and body wall thickness. Liver weights of 50% CDP (T3) group were significantly (P<0.05) higher than those of (T2) and (T4) groups. The results showed non-significant differences among the five experimental groups in meat quality merits, but it was noticeable that the control group had lost more liquids on cooking (35.68%) compared to the other four treatment groups. Significant red color was measured for the (T2) group after 1 hour (18.65) but the (T3) group had the highest red color value (21.63) after 24 hours. It is concluded that replacing barely by CDP as a very cheap energy source up to 50% fortified with CEM as a growth promoter in Naimi growing lambs diets resulted in acceptable carcass characteristics and meat quality merits.