Effect of dietary garlic bulb and garlic husk supplementation on performance and carcass characteristics of growing lambs

Abstract In an experiment with 80 growing Florina (Pelagonia) lambs, effects of dietary garlic ( Allium sativum ) bulb and garlic husk supplementation on performance and carcass characteristics were determined. In the experiment, which lasted 10 weeks, lambs were allocated to 5 treatments (GBGH0, GB30, GB60, GH50, and GH100) of 16 lambs (8 male and 8 female each). Male and female lambs had an initial body weight (BW) of 13.9 ± 2.1 and 12.8 ± 1.7 kg, respectively, and were fed a concentrate mixture ad libitum and alfalfa hay at 0.2 kg/lamb/d. The concentrate mixture for treatment GBGH0 had no garlic bulbs or husks (control), while those for treatments GB30 and GB60 included 30 and 60 kg/t of garlic bulbs, respectively, and those for treatments GH50 and GH100 included 50 and 100 kg/t of garlic husks, respectively. Male lambs grew faster than female lambs, but there were no differences among garlic bulb or garlic husk fed lambs in final BW, BW gain, dry matter intake or feed conversion ratio. Males had heavier carcasses than females, but there were no differences in carcass yield, or other carcass characteristics, between sexes. Garlic bulb and garlic husk supplementation in isonitrogenous and iso (net energy) energetic diets for growing lambs did not affect their performances.