Handmade fish meal as a partial replacement of soybean meal in diets for feedlot lambs: Effects on growth performance, dietary energy and meat quality

With the aim to evaluate a handmade fishmeal (HFM) as a partial replacement of soybean meal (SBM) in finishing diets, 36 intact male Dorper x Pelibuey lambs (41.43 +/- 7.38 kg of initial weight) were used in a completely randomized block design to test the following treatments: 1) Cracked corn-based diet containing 12% SBM, 2) inclusion of 3.5% of HFM partially replacing SBM, and 3) inclusion of 7% of HFM partially replacing SBM. Urea and limestone were utilized to balance diets in CP and calcium content. The feeding trial lasted 30 days. Replacement of SBM with HFM did not modify the effects on average daily gain (ADG) and dry matter intake (DMI), but there were numerical differences in ADG; HFM inclusion linearly improved gain-to-feed ratio; dietary net energy (NE) and observed-to-expected diet NE. Hot carcass weight and dressing percentage were not affected by HFM. Except a linear increase on C22:6, the effect of SBM replacement on fatty acid profile in meat was not significant. The meat pH registered at 24 h post-mortem linearly increased with HFM inclusion, but meat colour and sensorial values were unaffected. It was concluded that inclusion of up to 7% of HFM in diet as partial replacement of soybean meal did not negatively affect DMI and ADG, but can increase feed efficiency and dietary energy utilization. The effects of HFM on carcass and meat quality were inappreciable. Due to variations in handmade processing, it is important to verify its chemical composition before HFM can be incorporated into diets.