The effect of an active live yeast product on the digestibility of finishing diets for lambs

Abstract The influence of a rumen-specific active live yeast ( Saccharomyces cerevisiae ; SC CNCM I-1077 ), alone or in combination with an ionophore (Lasalocid-Na), on the apparent digestibility of nutrients in a standard lamb finishing diet was investigated. The four dietary treatments consisted of the same basal diet (151 g CP/kg DM, 226 g NDF/kg DM and 11.2 MJ ME/kg DM) differing only in respect to the additive included, i.e. (i) the control diet (C; no additive), (ii) live yeast (SC; 220 g/ton), (iii) lasalocid-Na (G; 120 g/ton) and (iv) both live yeast with ionophore (SCG) added at the same mentioned levels. Thirty-two South African Mutton Merino wethers (44.46 ± 3.84 kg) were randomly allocated to the four dietary treatments ( n  = 8 animals/treatment) and each placed in digestibility crates for a period of 16 days (7-day adaptation followed by a 9-day collection period). Dietary treatment had no effect ( P  > 0.05) on the apparent nutrient digestibility of the finisher diets. However, ionophore (G) inclusion significantly increased ( P P P