Performance and carcass characteristics of weaned lambs either grazed on orchardgrass, ryegrass, or alfalfa or fed all-concentrate diets in drylot

Four-paddock rotational grazing of orchardgrass, ryegrass, or alfalfa was compared to an all-concentrate diet fed in drylot using 202 weaned lambs. Comparisons of animal performance ended in each of the 3 yr (1983, 1984, 1985) for all animals when drylot lambs reached a subjective body condition score of 12 (range 1 to 15) and estimated fat depth over the rib was 5.5 to 7.0 mm. A total of 84 representative lambs were slaughtered over the 3 yr for carcass evaluation. Mature put-and-take ewes were used to maintain forages in the vegetative stage. Average daily gain and total gain of lambs were in the order of drylot > alfalfa > grasses; performance of lambs grazing alfalfa approached performance of those fed the drylot diet. Better performance (P < 0.01) of lambs grazing alfalfa than of those grazing grasses is attributed to more CP (P < 0.01) and less NDF, ADF, and hemicellulose (P < 0.01) in alfalfa. Lambs grazed on grasses had smaller carcasses with less muscle, fat, and bone (P < 0.01) than either of the other two treatments. Although carcasses of lambs grazed on alfalfa were lighter, they had the same muscle mass as concentrate-fed lambs, indicated by leg conformation, longissimus muscle area, and by physically separated absolute muscle weight. However, these carcasses contained less fat (P < 0.01) and had more desirable yield grades (P < 0.01) than the carcasses of concentrate-fed lambs.