Dietary addition of soybean oil on performance, rumen fermentation and meat quality of finishing lambs

To evaluate dietary addition of soybean oil (SBO) on growth, rumen fermentation, carcass and meat traits, 21 male Rambouillet lambs (2.5-mo-old and weighing 18 +/- 1.45 kg) were distributed randomly to a diet with 0, 25 or 50 g SBO/kg dry matter. Trial lasted 60 d. Dietary SBO did not affect growth, carcass traits or muscle conformation. Energy intake, dorsal fat and fatness degree, as well as rumen pH, acetate and acetate:propionate ratio had a linear increment (P < .05) with larger amounts of SBO in the diet. Also, increased SBO levels in the diet linearly augmented (P < .05) meat brightness (L*), muscle fat content and C18:1 t11 and C18:2 proportion. Dietary SBO at 50 g/kg DM for finishing lambs may be a feeding option to reduce the amount of energy from grains in the diet and favour deposition of fatty acids in meat that can benefit consumer health.