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The Effect of Diethylstilbestrol upon Growth, Fattening, and Certain Carcass Characteristics of Full-Fed and Limited-Fed Western Lambs¹

University of Wisconsin⁵

Abstract

Experiments were conducted with 200 wether Iambs to determine the influence of diethylstilbestrol on growth and certain carcass characteristics of western lambs. Because of the faster rate of gain of estrogentreated lambs, limited feeding was employed to get control and treated lambs of similar carcass weights without having a great difference in length of the feeding period or age. Forty-nine- and 84-day feeding periods were used to determine the effect of time on feed on the estrogen response. The treated lambs were implanted subcutaneously in the neck with a 15 mg. pellet of diethylstilbestrol. One group, implanted in the ear, responded as well as those groups implanted in the neck.

In general, estrogen-treated lambs when compared to controls of similar carcass weight and age, had (1) greater values for rate of gain, pelt weight, carcass length, and percentage of water in the fat, (2) smaller values for dressing percentage, carcass finish and grade, and external fat thickness, and (3) non-significant differences in the values for wool weight, shrinkage, skin thickness, shank length, percentage of water in the muscle, eye muscle area, liver weight, and percentage of ash in the shank bone. Limited feeding of approximately 85 percent of the ad libitum intake to treated lambs gave gains comparable to those of ad libitum-fed control lambs. Limited feeding intensified the effect of estrogen in retarding development of the late maturing tissues, particularly external fat. When treated lambs were full fed for longer periods of time (84 days instead of 49), the live grade score and thickness of external fat were increased and the percentage of water in the external fat was decreased so that there were no significant differences for these characteristics between treated and control lambs.

¹ Published with the approval of the Director of the Wisconsin Agricultural Experiment Station. Madison. The authors are grateful to Oscar Mayer & Co., Inc., for their cooperation in making this study possible.

² Animal Husbandry Dept., V.P.I., Blacksburg, Va.

³ Animal Husbandry Dept., Univ. of Georgia, Athens, Ga.

⁴ American Meat Institute Foundation, Chicago 37, Ill.

⁵ Departments of Animal Husbandry and Genetics (paper No. 579), Madison, Wisconsin.