Non-carcass components and wholesale cuts of Iranian fat-tailed lambs fed chromium nicotinate or chromium chloride

This experiment was conducted to evaluate differences in non-carcass components and wholesale cuts in fat-tailed ram lambs of the Shal breed (n = 70, BW= 37.0±2.8 kg) fed a barley-based diet (12.2% CP) supplemented with 0 (Control), 200, 600 or 1000 g Cr from chromium nicotinate (CrNic)/kg of DM or 200, 600 or 1000 g Cr from chromium chloride (CrCl3)/kg of DM. Lambs were slaughtered at 105 days of age. Final BW, total BW gain and ADG did not differ (P > 0.10). Lambs fed CrNic compared to those fed CrCl3 had higher (P < 0.007) skin weight and lower (P < 0.04) heart and heart fat weights. Addition of 200 g/kg of Cr as CrNic increased weights of head (P < 0.005), skin (P < 0.04), liver (P < 0.07), and kidney (P < 0.02) and decreased internal fat weight (P < 0.01). Supplemental Cr as CrNic or CrCl3 increased weights of proximal thoracic limb (P < 0.05) and proximal pelvic limb (P < 0.03). Addition of 600 or 1000 g/kg of Cr as CrNic tended to increase brisket-abdominal region weight (P < 0.06) and to decrease fat tail weight (P < 0.09). These results indicated that in fat tail lambs supplemental Cr specifically as chromium nicotinate may be beneficial for improving some of the valuable non-carcass organs and proximal thoracic or pelvic limbs. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.