EFFECT OF DIFFERENT SOURCES OF CHROMIUM FEED ADDITIVES TO AWASSI LAMBS DIET ON PRODUCTIVE AND SOME MEAT QUANTITY CHARACTERISTICS

Abstract

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of adding different sources of chromium to Awasi lambs diet on productive and some quantity characteristics of their carcasses meat. Fifteen locally Awassi lambs aged 3-4 months and 21.9±0.2 kg in weight were randomly distributed on three treatments (control treatment, chromium yeast (Ch. Yeast) treatment, chromium picolinate (Ch. Picolinate) treatment) with five lambs for each treatment. All treatments animals were provided with the same constant concentrate diet, chromium sources were provided to the chromium adding treatments in concentrate of 300 µg/kg of concentrate diet. Concentrate diet was providing to animals as 3% of live weight for whole period of experiment (90 days), wheat straw was provided adlibitum as a roughage diet. Each, daily Feed consumption, weekly animal's weight was recorded, average daily and total weight gain, feed conversion ratio were calculated. Thereafter, nine animals were slaughtered (three animals to each treatment was randomly chosen). Each, slaughtering weight, empty body weight, hot and cold carcass weight, carcass length, rib eye area and fat thickness were recorded. Dressing percentage was calculated. Results shown that adding feed additives of chromium in concentrate of 300 µg /kg as chromium yeast lead to beneficial enhancement of productive characteristics and carcass weights while adding chromium as chromium picolinate lead to carcass composition enhancement through increase rib eye area.