Replacement of whole corn grain by oat grain on performance of fedlot lambs receiving high grain diets

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different levels of replacement of whole corn grain by oats grain (0, 15 and 30% natural base), in rations based in concentrates on dry matter and nutrients intake, performance and economic viability of fedlot lambs. Twenty-four Texel lambs were used, being 12 non castrated males and 12 females; with average weight of 24.0 ± 2.8 kg. Lambs were housed in 12 pens, being two lambs per pen, and distributed in a completely randomized design into three experimental treatments. The animals received the experimental diets twice a day to allow 15% surplus. The treatments did not differ significantly for dry matter intake, feed conversion, hot and cold carcass weight, carcass yield, cooling losses, conformation and finishing scores. The increasing inclusion of oats as a replacement for corn grain showed linear increases in crude protein, crude fiber and neutral detergent fiber consumptions, and quadratic effect on intake of ether extract. The replacement of corn grain by oats grain in diets without roughage, up to 30%, can be used without interfering with the results of growth performance. The inclusion of 30% of oats is the most suitable, because it provided the highest gross margin.