Using sun-dried olive leaves as an alternative feed could decrease the cost of producing a lamb breed commonly seen in the Middle East, Turkey and parts of Asia.
Researchers at Jordan University of Science and Technology fed Awassi lambs, the most widespread breed of non-European origin, diets partially consisting of either 50 or 100g/kg olive leaves, as well as a control diet based on barley, soybean meal and wheat straw.
They found that key production parameters, including growth performance and meat quality, were not affected by the addition of the novel ingredient. However, the cost of achieving weight gain was reduced, with the control diet costing $1.77 for every kilogram gained, and the 50 and 100g olive leaf diets costing $1.59 and $1.62, respectively.
The olive-leaf diets also had higher levels of dry matter, which contains carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals, as well as metabolizable energy than the controls.
Benefits for two industries
The results suggest that olive leaves are a good candidate to replace part of the wheat straw element in conventional diets for the lambs, the researchers wrote in Italian Journal of Animal Science.
As well as providing a cheap feedstuff for animals, the use of the leaves offers olive growers the opportunity to make use of what is otherwise a waste product of the industry. With Morocco, Tunisia and Turkey among the world’s leading olive producers, it may also allow for a locally-sourced feed.
Further work should explore the effects of including higher proportions of the leaves in the lambs’ diets than were tested in the present study, the scientists added.
