Performance and meat quality of lambs fed with grape pomace silage

Abstract

Abstract This research investigated the use of grape pomace silage in the diet of 24 lambs. More specifically, it evaluated: 0, 150, 300, and 500 g/kg dry matter treatments. The inclusion of grape pomace silage had no effect (P > 0.05) on the chemical composition, and on the values of cholesterol, pH, instrumental color and tenderness of the Longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) muscle tissue. The average daily weight-gain decreased (P < 0.01), whereas the gross margin improved as GPS increased in the diet. As GPS levels rose, the percentage of 16:0 fatty acid in the LTL muscle decreased, while 18:2 n-6 increased. As GPS levels rose polyunsaturated fatty acids were more favorable, while the n-6 / n-3 ratio was more unfavorable for human consumption. The use of winery by-products was thus proven to be a viable option for sheep diets, providing satisfactory performance and, improving the nutritional value of meat as well as the gross margin.