The Effect of Herbal Mixture Supplementation on the Fattening, Slaughter and Selected Meat Quality Parameters of Merino Lambs

Abstract The aim of the research was to investigate the effect of herbal additives added to feed concentrate on the slaughter characteristics and meat quality of Merino lambs of two Polish breeds – Coloured Merino and Old Type Merino. Throughout the fattening period, the animals received some concentrate mixture ad libitum in the form of pellets supplemented with 10 g/kg or 20 g/kg of a herbal mixture consisting of fennel fruit, purple coneflower herb, minced garlic, and thyme. The content of dry matter, protein, fat, ash, cholesterol, and collagen was determined in meat samples ( Musculus quadriceps femoris ) collected after slaughter, the fatty acid profile and amino acid content were assessed also. In terms of the examined parameters, both between-breed differences and differences resulting from the diet were observed. Coloured Merino were characterized by higher average daily gains, higher hot and cold carcass weight and higher dressing percentage than Old Type Merino. Meat obtained from lambs of this breed was characterized by a higher level of PUFA-3 and a higher level of most amino acids. Old Type Merino lambs were characterized by a significantly higher Musculus longissimus dorsi ( m.l.d. ) fat thickness and m.l.d. area. The herbal mixture influenced the fat content in the meat, which was the lowest in the group of lambs that received a larger amount of the herbal supplement. The use of the herbal additive significantly reduced the n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio in the tested meat.