Breed variation in wool quality, growth and plasma metabolites of prime lamb fed degummed canola

Purebred and first-cross Merino prime lambs were supplemented with degummed canola and had ad libitum access to Lucerne hay in a nine-week feeding trial. The main objective was to evaluate the effects of supplementation, sire breed and sex on wool quality, digestibility, plasma metabolites, growth and body conformation of lambs sired by Dorset, White Suffolk and Merino rams under identical management conditions. Significant sire breed differences (P < 0.05) in withers height, wool fibre diameter, wool yield and wool brightness were detected. However, degummed canola supplementation and sex had no effect on plasma metabolites, dry matter intake, digestibility or average daily gain (

P

> 0.05). These findings suggest that dual-purpose sheep producers can better manage and match their prime lamb breeding goals with feed resources by supplementing both purebred Merino and terminally sired first cross Merino lambs with degummed canola without deleterious consequences on wool or fat-lamb income streams.