Assessing the influence of feeding olive leaves on the productivity and economic viability of growing Awassi lambs

Figures & data

Table 1. Ingredients and chemical composition of diets-containing olive leaves (OL) to Awassi lambs

Item	Diets
	CON	OL150	OL
Ingredients (g/kg DM)
Barley grain	54.5	54.5
Soybean meal	13.5	12.0
Olive leaves	0	15
Wheat straw	30	16.5
Salt	0.9	0.9
Limestone	1	1
Vitamin-mineral premix^1	0.1	0.1
Cost ($US/1000 kg)	420	371
Nutrients
Dry matter, g/kg DM	90.5	89.7	88.72
Crude protein, g/kg DM	15.1	15.1	8.77
Neutral detergent fiber, g/kg DM	34.2	29.1	29.37
Acid detergent fiber, g/kg DM	15.0	13.1	21.92
Ether extract, g/kg DM	1.0	1.9	6.10
Metabolizable energy, Mcal/kg	2.27	2.45	2.67

¹Composition per kg contained (vitamin A, 600,000 IU; vitamin D3, 200,000 IU; vitamin E, 75 mg, vitamin K3, 200 mg; vitamin B1, 100 mg; vitamin B5, 500 mg; lysine 0.5%; DL-methionine, 0.15%; manganese oxide, 4000 mg; ferrous sulphate 15,000 mg; zinc oxide, 7000; magnesium oxide, 4000 mg; potassium iodide, 80 mg; sodium selenite, 150 mg; copper sulphate, 100 mg; cobalt phosphate, 50 mg, dicalcium phosphate 10,000 mg.

Table 2. Effects of feeding olive leaves (OL) fed to Awassi lambs on nutrient intakes of growing Awassi lambs

Item	Diet^a
	CON	OL150	SEM	P value
Nutrient intake, g/d
Dry matter	1138	1146	26.34	0.7810
Crude protein	172	173	3.98	0.7818
Neutral detergent fiber	387	334	7.89	0.0054
Acid detergent fiber	171	150	3.54	0.0084
Ether extract	11.38	21.77	0.470	0.0003
Initial weight, kg	16.91	16.73	0.998	0.8999
Final weight, kg	29.69	29.16	1.43	0.7987
Average daily gain, g	213	207	12.87	0.7522
Total gain, kg	12.78	12.44	0.772	0.7525
Feed conversion ratio	5.35	5.58	0.628	0.7330
Cost ($US/kg of gain)	2.23	2.09	0.0323	0.0474

Table 3. Effects of feeding olive leaves (OL) on nutrient digestibility and N balance of Awassi lambs

Item	Diet^a
	CON	OL150	SEM	p value
Digestibility, %
Dry matter	76.5	75.2	1.98	0.6443
Crude protein	75.4	74.0	2.33	0.7004
Neutral detergent fiber	60.7	61.9	3.89	0.7684
Acid detergent fiber	54.7	52.5	2.82	0.6115
Ether extract	70.3	73.7	1.86	0.2512
N balance
N intake, g/d	25.37	26.47	1.409	0.6102
N lost in feces, g/d	6.50	7.61	0.484	0.1805
N lost in urine, g/d	5.41	4.60	1.036	0.6089
Retained N, g/d	13.46	14.26	0.487	0.1579
N retention, %	53.87	54.01	2.262	0.9672

Table 4. Effects of feeding olive leaves (OL) on carcass, non-carcass components, carcass cut weights and percentages and dissected loin of Awassi lambs

Item	Diet^a
	CON	OL150	SEM	P value
Fasting live weight (kg)	29.15	28.11	1.606	0.6569
Hot carcass weight (kg)	13.75	13.42	0.821	0.7832
Cold carcass weight (kg)	13.38	13.04	0.812	0.812
Dressing percentage	45.74	46.39	0.827	0.5507
Non-carcass components (kg)	1.22	1.16	0.062	0.5141
Carcass cut weights (kg)	11.80	11.57	0.725	0.8261
Fat tail (kg)	0.746	0.782	0.121	0.8381
Loin weight, g	427	425	39.3	0.9520
Longissimus muscle (g)
Intermuscular fat (g/100 g)	2.86	2.83	0.327	0.9377
Subcutaneous fat (g/100 g)	12.12	11.80	1.076	0.8381
Total fat (g/100 g)	14.98	14.63	1.334	0.8560
Total lean (g/100 g)	46.52	46.86	2.153	0.9106
Total bone (g/100 g)	27.73	27.33	2.158	0.8702
Meat to bone ratio	3.25	3.51	0.277	0.5197
Meat to fat ratio	1.81	1.87	0.1917	0.8188

Table 5. Effects of feeding olive leaves (OL) on carcass leaner dimensions of Awassi lambs

Item	Diet^a
	CON	OL150	SEM	P value
Leg fat depth (L3) (mm)	1.45	1.68	0.264	0.5543
Tissue depth (GR) (mm)	8.50	7.86	0.579	0.4533
Rib fat depth (J) (mm)	1.59	1.77	0.239	0.6018
Eye muscle width (A) (mm)	48.6	47.8	1.50	0.7092
Eye muscle depth (B) (mm)	20.4	18.9	1.15	0.3727
Eye muscle area (cm^2) (mm)	9.7	9.6	0.65	0.8312
Fat depth (C) (mm)	1.41	1.36	0.137	0.8173
Shoulder fat depth (S2) (mm)	1.09	1.00	0.039	0.1310

Table 6. Effects of feeding olive leaves (OL) on meat quality of Awassi lambs

Item	Diet^a
	CON	OL150	SEM	P value
pH	5.87	5.85	0.008	0.2061
Cooking loss (g/100 g)	42.85	41.80	0.569	0.116
Water holding capacity (g/100 g)	22.28	22.88	1.051	0.6951
Shear force (kg/cm2)	6.51	5.97	0.348	0.2564
Color coordinates
L* (whiteness)	28.3	30.0	1.969	0.5585
a* (redness)	1.71	1.69	0.1454	0.9011
b* (yellowness)	19.95	20.03	0.3704	0.8864

Table 7. Effects of feeding olive leaves (OL) on chemical composition of meat in Awassi lambs

Item	Diet^a
	CON (n = 12)	OL150 (n = 12)	SEM	P value
Dry matter	24.53	24.54	0.295	0.9638
Crude protein	19.72	20.02	0.241	0.3128
Ether extract	2.13	2.00	0.222	0.6764
Ash	1.51	1.54	0.041	0.5856