Crude glycerin is an efficient alternative to corn in the diet of feedlot lambs

The objective of this study was to evaluate the intake, digestibility, nitrogen balance, and performance of feedlot lambs fed diets containing crude glycerin. A total of 30 Ile de France lambs were confined to individual pens at an average age of 45 d: 15.1 kg initial body weight and 32.2 kg final body weight. The animals were distributed in a completely randomized design and fed three diets containing fresh sugarcane as forage (50 %) and concentrate (50 %), with or without the inclusion of 100 and 200 g vegetable crude glycerin per kilogram dry matter (DM) replacing corn. Dietary glycerin inclusion reduced the intake of ether extract (P<0.001) and total carbohydrates (P=0.048) as well as the apparent digestibility of ether extract (P<0.001), but it had no effect on the intake and digestibility of the other nutrients nor on lamb performance. The apparent nitrogen balance of lambs on the three diets was positive. Although it does not affect the intake and digestibility of most nutrients, the inclusion of 100 and 200 g kg−1 DM of crude glycerin in the diet tends to worsen lamb performance, indicating that the ideal level of inclusion should be below 100 g kg−1 DM of crude glycerin.