Kenneth E. Turner

Carcass merit and meat quality in Suffolk lambs, Katahdin lambs, and meat-goat kids finished on a grass-legume pasture with and without supplementation.

The experiment evaluated traditional U.S. sheep (Suffolk), hair sheep (Katahdin), and meat goat (Boer crossbred; Goat) carcass and meat quality parameters when finished on pasture with and without supplemental whole cottonseed (Gossypium hirsutum L.). Supplemented animals had greater ribeye area (P<0.01), body wall thickness (P<0.001), and lean quality score (P<0.05) than unsupplemented animals. Whole cottonseed increased fatty acids (FA) 18:1 trans-10, 18:1 trans-12, 18:2, and Omega6:Omega3 ratio and decreased FA 18:1 trans-11, 18:3, and Omega3 in longissimus muscle (LM). Katahdin LM had greater (P<0.001) intramuscular fat compared to Suffolk and Goat. Goat LM had less (P<0.001) FA 14:0, 18:0, 18:1 t11, 18:3, 20:3n-6, and saturated FA when compared to Suffolk or Katahdin. Carcass weights from pasture-finished sheep and goats would be acceptable for most ethnic markets in the USA. Omega6:Omega3 ratios in chevon and lamb were within the guidelines for meats that can improve human diets and health.

Surface Limestone Application Increases Ammonia Volatilization from Goat Urine in Abandoned Pastures

ABSTRACT Concentrated application of nitrogen (N) resulting from urine deposition by livestock can cause nitrate pollution of ground water. Use of goats (Capra hircus) at high stocking densities to clear unwanted shrubs from abandoned pasture during renovation increases the probability of multiple depositions of urine. We hypothesized that applying limestone early in the pasture restoration process would favor ammonia (NH3) volatilization. This would increase the area over which N was distributed and reduce the potential for localized nitrate pollution, although atmospheric NH3 loading would be increased. To study the effect of surface limestone application on NH3 generation, we collected 32 soil profile columns with intact vegetation from an abandoned pasture in southern WV. Urine was applied 18 weeks after surface application of 6720 kg/ha (6000 lb/ac) limestone. Columns received one, two, or three applications of 100 mL goat urine, adding a total of 9.8, 31.7, and 66.4 g/m2 N, respectively. The amount of NH3 increased markedly with increased urine application. Ammonia production decreased exponentially with time after each addition. Overall, limed columns generated 132% more NH3 than unlimed columns. Dry matter production was highest in the treatment receiving two urine applications and lowest in the control receiving no urine. Three urine applications damaged plants; this scorching was correlated with amount of NH3 generated. With time, plant cover in damaged treatments recuperated, with broadleaf plants tending to replace grass. Surface limestone application increased the amount of urine N transformed to NH3 gas, especially where there were multiple urine deposits.

Carcass parameters and meat quality in meat-goat kids finished on chicory, birdsfoot trefoil, or red clover pastures.

This study was conducted during the 2009 and 2010 grazing seasons to assess carcass parameters and chevon (goat meat) quality when meat-goat kids (n=72) were finished on pastures of red clover (Trifolium pratense L.; RCL), birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.; BFT), or chicory (Cichorium intybus L.; CHIC). Final live weight (P<0.05) and carcass weight (P=0.10) were greater when goats were finished on RCL compared to CHIC with BFT being intermediate. Ribeye area, backfat thickness, body wall thickness, internal fat score, and leg score were not different (P>0.10) among treatments when adjusted for the covariate of carcass weight. Finishing meat-goat kids on RCL, BFT, or CHIC impacted concentrations of fatty acids (FAs) 18:1 trans-10, 18:1 cis-11, 18:2, 18:3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), omega-6, omega-3, and PUFA:saturated fatty acid ratio in longissimus lumborum samples. Finishing meat-goat kids on CHIC, RCL, or BFT pastures produced carcass weights acceptable for most ethnic markets in the USA.

Sustainable Turkey Litter Amendments for Mixed Swards Grazed by Sheep in Appalachia: Nitrate Leaching

ABSTRACT Increased poultry production in the Appalachian Region provides a readily available nutrient source and a means to improve soil quality. As with any applied source of nutrients, surface and ground water quality can be compromised if nutrient inputs exceed plant nutrient requirements. Understanding nutrient dynamics in hill-land pasture enables us to develop management practices that minimize detrimental effects on water quality, and stabilize and improve the productive capacity of highly eroded soil. The objective of this research was to assess nitrate leaching under mixed swards of orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata), white clover (Trifolium repens), and chicory (Cichorum intybus) receiving various loadings of composted turkey litter and grazed by sheep (Ovis aries). Treatments were applied in the early spring of 1997, 1999, and 2001 and consisted of P and K only; N, P and K; 3 Mg ha−1 composted turkey litter; and 6 Mg ha−1 composted turkey litter. Indications were that any of the treatments supplied adequate herbage to sustain rotational stocking of growing lambs at 50 lambs per hectare, but NO3-N leaching occurred at the litter application rate of 6 Mg ha−1. Nitrate leaching also occurred when no additional N was applied as a result of an increased ratio of white clover in the sward. When chicory is included in the sward composition, rates of composted turkey litter application greater than 3 Mg ha−1 cannot be recommended from a NO3-N leaching perspective.