L. A. Appeddu, D. G. Ely, D. K. Aaron, W. P. Deweese and E.

Fink
tallow on ewe milk production and twin lamb growth
Effects of supplementing with calcium salts of palm oil fatty acids or hydrogenated
2004, 82:2780-2789. J ANIM SCI
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Effects of supplementing with calcium salts of palm oil fatty acids
or hydrogenated tallow on ewe milk production and twin lamb growth
1
L. A. Appeddu
2
, D. G. Ely, D. K. Aaron, W. P. Deweese, and E. Fink
Department of Animal Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40546-0215
ABSTRACT: Two experiments were conducted with
Polypay ewes nursing twin lambs to evaluate the effects
of supplementing fat (calcium salts of palm oil fatty
acids or hydrogenated tallow) on ewe lactation. In Exp.
1, ewes were fed a 52% concentrate:48% hay-based diet
(as-fed basis) consisting of alfalfa hay (n = 4), endo-
phyte-free fescue hay (n = 4), or fescue hay with 3.7%
fatty acids (n = 4) from d 4 to 56 of lactation. In Exp.
2, ewes were fed similar diets that had endophyte-free
fescue hay (n = 6), fescue hay with 3.7% fatty acids (n =
5), or fescue hay with 3.1% tallow (n = 6) from d 14
before lambing until d 57 of lactation. Diet formulations
with supplemental fat were more nutrient dense, and
treatments were fed to meet ewe nutrient require-
ments; this caused diets with added fat to be offered at
10 and 17% lower rates than unsupplemented diets in
Exp. 1 and 2, respectively. Lambs were maintained
to consume only ewe milk. Ewe milk production and
composition were determined using a portable milking
machine following a 3-h separation fromlambs. In Exp.
1, milk fat content was increased (P < 0.01) when ewes
consumed fescue hay with fatty acids vs. the fescue hay
diet (11.4 vs. 8.3%). Ewes fed fescue hay with fatty acids
Key Words: Alfalfa, Ewe, Fat, Fescue, Lactation, Lamb
2004 American Society of Animal Science. All rights reserved. J. Anim. Sci. 2004. 82:27802789
Introduction
During lactation, feeds high in available protein,
starch, and/or sugar are commonly supplemented to
promote preweaning gains in offspring and to prevent
excessive BWlosses of grazing cows and ewes (Paterson
et al., 1994). Fewstudies have investigated the feasibil-
ity of supplementing fat to meat-type ruminants during
1
The investigation reported in this paper (No. 02-07-007) is in
connection with a project of the Kentucky Agric. Exp. Stn. and is
published with the approval of the Director.
2
Correspondence: Health Sciences Division, Southwestern Okla-
homa State Univ., 100 Campus Dr., Weatherford 73096 (phone: 580-
774-3148; fax: 580-774-7159; e-mail: lisa.appeddu@swosu.edu).
Received July 31, 2003.
Accepted June 1, 2004.
2780
lost the most (P < 0.05) weight over lactation (8.6 kg)
compared with ewes fed the alfalfa hay (2.4 kg) and
fescue hay (3.8 kg) diets. Other milk measures, lamb
gain, and production efciencies were not changed. In
Exp. 2, ewes supplemented with fatty acids produced
more (P < 0.05) milk fat than those fed tallow (290 vs.
210 g/d). The proportion of synthesized milk fat 14:0
was decreased (P < 0.01), but the percentage of incorpo-
rated 16:0 increased (P < 0.05) when fatty acids were
fed. Dietary fat digestibility by ewes was increased (P
< 0.01) by fatty acid supplementation but decreased (P
< 0.01) when tallow was added. Although ewe weight
measures were not changed in Exp. 2, twin lamb gain
per ewe organic matter intake was most efcient (P <
0.05) when ewes were supplemented with fatty acids.
Results suggest that feeding hydrogenated tallow de-
creased nutrient availability for ewe milk fat produc-
tion. A complete diet based on endophyte-free fescue
hay can replace a traditional alfalfa hay diet, whereas
supplementing with the calcium salts of palm oil fatty
acids may be more feasible when energy is limiting
during ewe lactation.
lactation, whereas the dairy cattle industry routinely
adds fat to promote milk production. Increased milk
yields in dairy animals have been related to increased
energy availability when supplemental dietary fat is
directly incorporated into milk fat (Palmquist et al.,
1993). Ruminally inert fats have been developed to
avoid the decline in dietary ber digestion previously
associated with fat supplementation (Jenkins and
Jenny, 1989; Sklan et al., 1990). This provides the po-
tential to offset the expense of adding fat to lactation
diets by feeding high-ber, less-costly forages; milk pro-
duction is not decreased as a result of the increase in
dietary nutrient density (Davis, 1993).
Hernandez et al. (1986) and Casals et al. (1999) re-
ported that 4-wk lamb weights were increased when
supplying fat to ewes consuming high-forage diets. In-
creased milk yields and milk fat content were found in
ewes fed rumen-inert fat (Alba et al., 1997; Casals et
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Supplementing fat to lactating ewes 2781
Table 1. Ingredient composition of ewe lactation diets
Experiment 1
a
Experiment 2
a
Ingredient, % Fescue + Fescue + Fescue +
(as-fed basis) Alfalfa Fescue fatty acids Fescue fatty acids tallow
Alfalfa hay 48.0
Fescue hay 48.8 48.8 48.8 48.5 48.3
Fatty acids
b
3.7 3.7
Tallow
c
3.1
Cracked corn 35.9 28.0 19.5 28.0 19.3 19.3
Soybean meal 8.6 14.7 20.0 14.8 19.9 19.8
Molasses 6.3 6.4 6.4 6.4 6.3 6.3
Limestone 0.3 1.5 0.1 1.4 0.8 1.7
Monocalcium phosphate 0.4 0.8 0.8 0.8
TMS + Se
d
0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5
Vitamin A, D, E mix 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.2
a
Treatments: alfalfa = alfalfa hay-based diet; fescue = endophyte-free fescue hay-based diet; fescue + fatty
acids = fescue treatment with calcium salts of palm oil fatty acids; fescue + tallow = fescue treatment with
hydrogenated tallow.
b
Fatty acids: calcium salts of palm oil fatty acids (Megalac, Church and Dwight Co., Inc., Princeton, NJ).
c
Tallow: hydrogenated tallow (Rumical, Grifn Industries, Inc., Cold Spring, KY).
d
TMS + Se: trace mineral salt with selenium (95 to 98.5% NaCl with not less than 0.35% Zn, 0.34% Fe,
0.20% Mn, 0.033% Cu, 0.007% I, 0.005% Co, and 90 ppm Se).
al., 1999). Although milk yield and milk fat and protein
contents have been related to preweaning lamb perfor-
mance (Torres-Hernandez and Hohenboken, 1980; Her-
nandez et al., 1986; Lynch et al., 1991), increasing the
long-chain components of milk fat through dietary fat
supplementation may increase lamb use of milk energy
to improve nursing offspring growth (Palmquist et al.,
1993; Casals et al., 1999). The objective of this research
was to evaluate the nutrient digestion, milk production
and composition, and potential lamb production of
meat-type ewes when an endophyte-free, fescue hay-
based diet was supplemented with the calcium salts of
palm oil fatty acids or hydrogenated tallow.
Materials and Methods
Treatments
Experiment 1. Twelve fall-lambing Polypay ewes (1
to 4 yr of age), nursing twin lambs, were randomly
allotted to one of three dietary treatments (Table 1). A
total mixed diet consisting (as-fed basis) of 52% concen-
trate:48% alfalfa hay (alfalfa; n = 4) was formulated as
fed in a previous experiment (Appeddu et al., 1995) and
served as a positive control. Endophyte-free fescue hay
(Kenhy) replaced alfalfa hay to form the second treat-
ment (fescue; n = 4). The third treatment (fescue + fatty
acids; n = 4) consisted of the fescue diet supplemented
with 3.7%calciumsalts of palmoil fatty acids (Megalac;
Churchand Dwight Co., Inc., Princeton, NJ). Analfalfa-
based diet withadded fat was not included inthis exper-
iment because Appeddu et al. (1995) reported no differ-
ences in ewe milk measures or lamb growth between
alfalfa-based diets with and without fat.
Dietary treatments were formulated to achieve simi-
lar intakes of energy, total protein, and Ca (NRC, 1996).
The proportions of soybean meal and corn were altered
in fescue-based diets to compensate for the lower pro-
tein content analyzed (see later text for methods) for
fescue (11% CP) vs. alfalfa hay (15% CP). The fescue +
fatty acids diet was formulated to be more nutrient
dense than the other diets, so a lower amount of the fat-
supplemented diet could be offered. Hays were coarsely
chopped to a 2- to 4-cm length before mixing diets.
Before lambing, ewes were group-fed twice daily at
a rate of 0.7 kg of alfalfa hay and 0.46 kg of corn/animal.
Following parturition, each ewe and her lambs were
individually penned (1.2 m 8 m) in an open-sided
barn. Minimumamounts of strawwere used as bedding
on a dirt oor, and a concrete slab provided an outdoor
run. Each ewe received 1.8 kg of alfalfa hay and 0.7 kg
of shelled corn (as-fed basis) from d 0 to 4 of lactation,
and then each was adjusted to dietary treatments from
d 4 to 9 of lactation. Ewes were allotted to dietary treat-
ments randomly as they lambed, and only ewes nursing
twin lambs were included. Diet amounts were based on
individual initial ewe BW taken on d 4 of lactation and
were fed to meet the nutritional requirements of ewes
nursing twin lambs (NRC, 1985). Daily rations re-
mained constant from d 9 to 56 after lambing. Total
mixed diets were offered in equal amounts at 0800 and
1600. Lambs were not offered creep feed and were sepa-
rated from ewes for 60 min at each feeding. This was
done to evaluate ewe milk traits and lamb performance
solely as a function of ewe diet. Any feed remaining
was removed before lambs were returned. All animals
were treated according to the animal care and use
guidelines of the University of Kentucky.
Experiment 2. Seventeen fall-lambing, Polypay ewes
(3 to 5 yr of age) nursing twin lambs were randomly
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Appeddu et al. 2782
allotted to one of three dietary treatments (Table 1).
The control diet was a 52% concentrate:48% fescue-
based diet (fescue; n = 6) comparable to that fed in Exp.
1. The second diet (fescue + fatty acids; n = 5) was
formulated in a manner similar to the fescue + fatty
acids diet used in Exp. 1. The third treatment contained
3.1% hydrogenated tallow (Rumical; Grifn Industries,
Inc., Cold Spring, KY) mixed into the concentrate por-
tion of the fescue diet (fescue + tallow; n = 6). As was
done in Exp. 1, diets were formulated to supply ewe
nutrient requirements at equal protein, energy, and Ca
intakes. A lower percentage of tallow was used due to
the higher fat content (minimum98%), according to the
manufacturers label, compared with fatty acids (mini-
mum 83.5% fat).
To increase time on experimental diets, gestating
ewes were randomly divided into three pens at an esti-
mated 2 wk before the start of lambing. Pregnant ewes
were group-fed one of three diets containing 40% con-
centrate:60% endophyte-free fescue hay with no fat,
3.9% fatty acids, or 3.4% tallow (as-fed basis). The con-
centrate portion of the gestation diets also contained
corn (28.6, 24.2, or 22.3%), soybean meal (3.0, 4.3, or
5.2%), and vitamin A, D, E mix (0.2, 0.2, or 0.2%) for
treatments with no fat, fatty acids, or tallow, respec-
tively. Diets were fed at 2.90, 2.75, and 2.75% of an
average 80-kg BW for ewes consuming diets with no
fat, fatty acids, or tallow, respectively, and met the
nutrient requirements of ewes in late gestation (NRC,
1985). Two days after lambing, each ewe with twin
lambs was moved to an individual pen and remained
on the same prelambing diet until d 4 of lactation.
Thereafter, daily rations consisted of feeding lactation
diets (Table 1) based onthe same prelambing treatment
(no supplemental fat, fatty acids, or tallow) and individ-
ual ewe BW taken on d 2 of lactation. Diets were fed
to meet the nutrient requirements for lactating ewes
nursing twin lambs (NRC, 1985). Feeding procedures
were the same as described in Exp. 1, and dietary treat-
ments continued through d 59 after lambing.
Measurements
In both experiments, representative samples of lac-
tating ewe diets were collected daily, composited on a
weekly basis, dried in a forced-air oven (50C), and
ground to pass a 1-mm screen in a Wiley mill (Thomas-
Wiley model 4, Thomas Scientic, Philadelphia, PA).
Diets were analyzed for DM, ash (AOAC, 1990), NDF,
ADF(Goering andVanSoest, 1970), andfat (acidhydro-
lysis method; AOAC, 1990). Lignin was determined
(Goering and Van Soest, 1970) in diets fromExp. 1 only.
Crude protein was determined using a macro nitrogen
analyzer (Foss Heraeus Analysensyteme GmbH, Ha-
nau, Germany) that automated the Dumas procedure
(AOAC, 1990). Gross energy was analyzed using the
isoperibol operation on a Parr bomb calorimeter (Parr
Instrumentation Co., Moline, IL). Orts were collected
after each feeding, dried (50C), and weighed for calcu-
lation of ewe OMI.
Apparent nutrient digestibilities were determined
using chromic oxide. A mixture (as-fed basis) of 88%
ground corn, 7%Cr
2
O
3
, and 5%corn oil was top-dressed
at each feeding to supply Cr
2
O
3
at 0.35% of the diet
from d 26 to 35 and d 35 to 44 of lactation in Exp. 1
and 2, respectively. Fecal grab samples were collected
at 0600, 1200, 1800, and 2400; 0400, 0800, 1400, and
2000; and 0200, 1000, 1600, and 2200 over the last 3
d of the marker feeding periods. Fecal samples were
dried in a forced air oven (50C) and ground through a
1-mm Wiley mill screen. Orts and fecal samples were
composited by dry weight for each ewe over the collec-
tion period and analyzed for nutrients as described for
diet samples. Diets, orts, feces, and the chromic oxide
mixture were prepared for chromiumdetermination us-
ing a wet ash procedure (Williams et al., 1962), and
were analyzed via atomic absorption with a nitrous
oxide/acetylene ame. Fecal output and digestibilities
of OM, CP, NDF, ADF, and GE were calculated using
the equations of Van Soest (1994).
Ewe milk production was determined at 7-d intervals
from d 14 to 56 and d 8 to 57 of lactation in Exp. 1 and
2, respectively. Following the morning feeding, each
ewe received an i.v. injection of oxytocin (40 IU) and
was machine-milked. After a 3-hseparationperiod from
lambs, ewes received a second oxytocin injection and
were milked. The second milking was weighed and
multiplied by eight to estimate 24-h milk production.
A subsample was preserved with bronopol and shipped
to Milk Marketing, Inc. (Strongsville, OH) for determi-
nation of fat, protein, and lactose (Exp. 1) or fat and
protein (Exp. 2) by infrared analysis (AOAC, 1990).
Total milk solids (milk DM%) were determined by the
Majonnier method (AOAC, 1990).
The fat composition of ewe diet and milk samples
was analyzed by direct transesterication of the fat
component into fatty acid methyl esters (Lepage and
Roy, 1986). Milk fat composition was determined in
weekly milk samples in Exp.1, and on d 8, 36, and 57
in Exp. 2. Hexane fractions were harvested and ana-
lyzed by gas chromatography using a temperature-pro-
grammed, carbowax fused, silicia capillary column
(Perkin Elmer; Norwalk, CT). Fat peaks were identied
using the retention times of a reference standard rang-
ing from 14:0 to 18:3 (carbon chain length:number of
unsaturated bonds).
Ewes and lambs were weighed at the start of treat-
ments and weekly until weaning on d 56 (Exp. 1) and
d 59 (Exp. 2). Ewe BCS was evaluated by visual and
handling appraisal on a scale of 0 (emaciated) to 5
(obese). Twin lamb weights were expressed as kilo-
grams of lamb produced per ewe. Final lamb weights
were adjusted to 60 d and for sex, birth weight, birth
type, andewe age (SID, 1988). Changes during lactation
were determined for ewe weight and BCS, and twin
lamb gain. Efciencies per ewe OMI and ewe fat intake
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Supplementing fat to lactating ewes 2783
Table 2. Chemical composition of ewe lactation diets
Experiment 1
a
Experiment 2
a
Fescue + Fescue + Fescue +
Item Alfalfa Fescue fatty acids Fescue fatty acids tallow
Component, % of DM
DM 90.6 92.4 92.9 89.9 90.2 89.7
Ash 8.3 8.3 9.1 9.5 9.2 9.4
Fat
b
4.1 4.7 7.1 4.0 7.4 7.0
CP 17.3 16.9 19.6 13.8 16.7 16.0
NDF 32.3 45.4 41.1 45.1 39.2 43.2
ADF 18.6 23.3 22.9 25.2 21.7 25.2
Lignin 3.5 2.6 2.6
d

d
GE, Mcal/kg DM 4.4 4.3 4.4 4.1 4.2 4.2
Fat composition, % of total
c
14:0 0.3
e

e
1.0 1.1
16:0 20.2 20.0 42.2 24.3 44.0 26.5
18:0 3.8 4.0 4.6 5.4 5.2 50.4
18:1 23.1 22.5 28.8 27.8 33.2 9.2
18:2 45.4 46.7 21.8 42.5 16.6 12.8
18:3 7.2 6.8 2.6
e

e
a
Treatments: alfalfa = alfalfa hay-based diet; fescue = endophyte-free fescue hay-based diet; fescue + fatty
acids = fescue treatment with calcium salts of palm oil fatty acids; fescue + tallow = fescue treatment with
hydrogenated tallow.
b
Determined by acid hydrolysis.
c
Carbon chain length:number of unsaturated bonds.
d
Not analyzed.
e
Not detected.
were determined for ewe weight change, milk produc-
tion, milk fat yield, and lamb gain.
Statistical Analyses
Data were analyzed using PROCMIXEDof SAS(SAS
Inst., Inc., Cary, NC) using a completely randomized
design. Data collected over lactation were analyzed us-
ing a repeated measures model, which included dietary
treatment, lactationday, and treatment lactationday.
Ewe was considered to be a random effect. Twin lamb
data were evaluated as a function of the ewe. When a
signicant treatment effect was observed (P < 0.05),
differences among treatment means were separated us-
ing pairwise t-tests. When treatment lactation day
was signicant (P < 0.05), treatment comparisons were
made by lactation day. Data collected only once (digest-
ibilities, 60-d adjusted weaning weights, overall
changes, and production efciencies) were analyzed us-
ing a one-way ANOVA.
Results and Discussion
Diet Composition
Supplementing fat in fescue-based diets increased
average fat content (Table 2) in the fescue + fatty acids
diet (Exp. 1) and fescue + fatty acids and fescue + tallow
diets (Exp. 2). Crude protein content was similar be-
tween the alfalfa diet and fescue diet in Exp. 1, whereas
it was lower in the fescue diet in Exp. 2 vs. 1. Because
diets were formulated similarly for both experiments,
this difference in dietary CP may be attributed to uc-
tuations in the nutrient composition of dietary ingredi-
ents. As planned, protein content was higher in diets
with supplemental fat in both experiments. In contrast,
measured GEcontent was not higher in diets with fatty
acids or tallow compared with diets without added fat.
Calculated GE values of diets supplemented with fat
were higher than measured values, ranging from 4.6
to 4.7 Mcal/kg diet OM (NRC, 1996). This discrepancy
in calculated vs. actual GE content may be due to the
assay not detecting the total heat of combustion in diets
withadded fat. Other researchers have reported similar
difculties in determining higher GE values in rumi-
nant diets supplemented with fat (Sklan et al., 1990;
Alba et al., 1997). The results of Andrew et al. (1990)
further suggest that the energy values of diets supple-
mented with fat may be more accurately expressed on
a metabolizable or net energy basis.
Diets with alfalfa hay vs. fescue hay had lower NDF
and ADF percentages, but increased lignin content, in
Exp. 1. Whereas supplementing with fatty acids tended
to decrease dietary ber content, the lack of change
observed when adding tallowmay have been due to this
ingredient being retained in the ber fraction.
Hay type did not change dietary fat composition. In
both experiments, the fescue + fatty acids diet had
higher percentages of 16:0 and 18:1, similar 18:0, and
lower 18:2 and 18:3 (Exp. 1) than the fescue diet. Re-
placing fatty acids with tallow in Exp. 2 increased the
proportion of 18:0 and decreased 18:1 and 18:2. Propor-
tion of 16:0 was similar between the fescue and fescue
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Appeddu et al. 2784
Table 3. Ewe intake and digestibility of lactation diets
Experiment 1
a
Experiment 2
a
Fescue + Fescue + Fescue +
Item Alfalfa Fescue fatty acids SD
b
Fescue fatty acids tallow SD
b
Intake, g/d
OM 2,910
c
3,060
c
2,670
d
140 2,480
c
2,190
d
2,094
d
211
Fat 130
e
170
f
200
g
8 110
e
170
f
160
f
12
CP 510 520 540 26 370 390 360 32
NDF 950
e
1,420
f
1,100
g
56 1,180
e
900
f
960
f
98
ADF 550
e
730
f
630
g
31 660
e
500
f
560
f
56
Digestibility, %
OM 66.0 69.1 69.5 3.86 74.8
e
73.4
ef
70.3
f
2.52
Fat 61.7
e
71.9
f
77.6
f
3.86 69.4
e
80.8 60.1
g
1.76
CP 63.0
c
66.6
c
73.3
d
3.04 72.1
e
76.7
f
75.6
f
1.52
NDF 37.4
c
58.8
d
53.0
d
7.12 63.3
c
55.2
d
54.7
d
4.80
ADF 27.3
e
52.9
f
52.2
f
7.00 58.6
c
46.6
d
50.0
d
5.95
GE 63.4 65.8 67.5 3.90 55.1 59.3 59.6 4.63
DE, Mcal/kg OM 3.0
c
3.1
cd
3.3
d
0.18 2.3
c
3.0
d
3.3
d
0.46
GE intake, Mcal 13.6
cd
14.5
c
13.1
d
0.68 10.1
c
11.1
cd
11.4
d
1.03
DE intake, Mcal 8.6 9.5 8.8 0.58 5.6 6.6 6.8 1.08
a
Treatments: alfalfa = alfalfa hay-based diet; fescue = endophyte-free fescue hay-based diet; fescue + fatty
acids = fescue treatment with calcium salts of palm oil fatty acids; fescue + tallow = fescue treatment with
hydrogenated tallow.
b
Standard deviation, where SEM = SD/n (Exp. 1: n = 4; Exp. 2: n = 6, 5, and 6 across treatments,
respectively).
c,d
Means in the same row with different subscripts differ within experiment (P < 0.05).
e,f,g
Means in the same row with different subscripts differ within experiment (P < 0.01).
+tallowdiets. The 14:0 fatty acids were either undetect-
able or detected only in small percentages.
Ewe Intake and Digestibility
As planned, ewes allotted to diets supplemented with
fatty acids or hydrogenated tallow were offered, and
therefore consumed, less (P < 0.05) OM than those fed
alfalfa or fescue diets without added fat (Table 3). Diet
amounts offered in Exp. 2 were initially similar to Exp.
1, but were reduced within 10 d after lambing when
large amounts of orts were recovered across all treat-
ments. As a result, the average amount of OM con-
sumedinExp. 2 was 18.5%less thaninExp. 1. Although
not determined, factors such as weather conditions, in-
herent differences among ewes, and metabolic adjust-
ments caused by feeding experimental diets before par-
turition could have contributed to lower intakes in
Exp. 2.
Fat intakes were higher (P < 0.01) for ewes fed diets
supplemented with fat in both experiments. Total-tract
fat digestibility was higher (P < 0.01) in ewes fed the
fescue diets compared with those consuming the alfalfa
diet in Exp. 1. Because dietary fat composition was not
different between the alfalfa and fescue diets (Table 2),
results suggest differences in cellular locations or the
organic structures of lipids may have caused digestibil-
ity differences (Van Soest, 1994). In Exp. 2, fat digest-
ibility was higher (P < 0.01) in ewes fed the fescue +
fatty acids diet than when the fescue diet was fed (Table
3). The lowest fat digestibility (P < 0.01) was found in
ewes consuming the fescue + tallow diet. Differences
in fat digestibilities between diets supplemented with
fat may be attributed to differences in their fat composi-
tion (Table 2). Researchers have reported 16:0 and 18:1,
as primarily found in the fescue + fatty acids diet, to
have higher digestibility coefcients than 18:0, which
was predominant in the fescue + tallow diet (Wu et al.,
1991; Weisbjerg et al., 1992; Brsting et al., 1992). The
lower fat digestibility of the fescue + tallowdiet contrib-
uted to it having a lower total OM digestibility (P <
0.01) than the fescue diet (Table 3).
Ewe protein intakes were similar within experiment.
The higher (P < 0.05) protein digestibility of diets with
supplemental fat in both experiments may be attrib-
uted to the higher level of soybean meal used in these
diets (Table 1) as a nitrogen source. Lower (P < 0.01)
NDF and ADF intakes in ewes fed the alfalfa vs. fescue
diet (Table 3) resulted fromdifferences in ber contents
of the hays (Table 2). Decreased (P < 0.01) ber intakes
in ewes fed fat-supplemented diets were due to offering
lower total amounts of these diets (Table 3). However,
NDFand ADFdigestibilities were lower (P< 0.05) when
feeding the alfalfa diet than with the fescue or the fes-
cue +fatty acids diet inExp. 1. Insupport of this nding,
Hoffman et al. (1993) reported ber digestibility of le-
gumes to occur at a faster rate, but to a lesser extent,
than grasses.
Supplementing with fatty acids and tallow decreased
(P < 0.05) NDF and ADF digestibilities of these diets
inExp. 2. Asimilar trendwas observed whencomparing
the NDF digestibility of the fescue + fatty acids diet
with the fescue diet in Exp. 1. In contrast, Ohajuruka
et al. (1991) did not nd lower OMor ber digestibilities
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Supplementing fat to lactating ewes 2785
in dairy cows supplemented with either the calcium
salts of fatty acids or an animal/vegetable fat blend in
a 60:40 forage:concentrate diet. Because the fatty acids
and tallow sources used in Exp. 1 and 2 were manufac-
tured to be ruminally inert, the decreased NDF digest-
ibility in diets with added fat was more likely caused
by a nutrient deciency or a nutrient imbalance in the
rumen. In support of this, a lower proportion of corn
was formulated in diets with supplemental fat (Table
1), which would reduce the amount of ruminally avail-
able energy (Palmquist et al., 1993). Ruminally avail-
able nutrients were decreased further by feeding
smaller amounts of diets with supplemental fat, espe-
cially inExp. 2 (Table 3). Unchangedber digestibilities
reported in other experiments (Ohajuruka et al., 1991;
Palmquist et al., 1993) may have been due to offering
fat-supplemented diets to dairy cows at equal rates or
free choice as compared with diets without supplemen-
tal fat, thus preventing a signicant decrease of rumi-
nally available nutrients.
Ewes fed the fescue + fatty acids diet had the lowest
(P < 0.05) GE intake in Exp. 1, whereas supplemental
fat tended to increase ewe GE intake in Exp. 2. Diets
with added fat had numerically higher GE digestibili-
ties inExp. 2, causing the fescue + fatty acids and fescue
+ tallow diets to have higher (P < 0.05) DE contents
than the fescue diet. A similar trend was observed in
Exp. 1. Expression of energy content on a DE basis was
more in line with the expected increase in available
energy resulting from fat supplementation. Ewe nutri-
ent intakes in Exp. 1 met daily protein (435 g CP) and
energy (8.6 Mcal DE) requirements for 80-kg ewes nurs-
ing twins in the rst 6 to 8 wk of lactation (NRC, 1985).
While protein and digestible energy intakes were simi-
lar across treatments in Exp. 2 (Table 3), lower dietary
intakes caused CP and DE to be 14 and 27% below
lactating ewe requirements.
Milk Production and Composition
Daily milk production in Exp. 1 declined (P < 0.001)
as lactation progressed, but yields were not changed by
hay source or fatty acid supplementation (Table 4). In
Exp. 2, an interaction (P = 0.03) between dietary treat-
ment and milk yields over lactation was detected (Fig-
ure 1). Ewes fed fescue + tallow tended (P < 0.06) to
have lower milk yields than those fed the fescue + fatty
acids diet on d 29 (2.15 vs. 2.54 kg/24 h; Figure 1). On
d 43, ewes supplemented with tallow produced less (P
< 0.07) milk than those fed the fescue diet (1.90 vs. 2.29
kg/24 h). Overall, ewes fed the fescue + tallow diet
numerically produced the least amount of milk (Table
4). This may have resulted from the lower digestibility
of the fescue + tallow diet decreasing available nutri-
ents belowthe level needed to maintain milk production
similar to other diets.
Although increased milk yields are common when
dairy cows are supplemented with fatty acids in early
lactation (Schauff and Clark, 1992), feeding fescue +
fatty acids to meet ewe nutrient requirements did not
increase milk production above the alfalfa or fescue
diet. Appeddu et al. (1995) also reported no increase in
the milk yields of meat-type ewes when supplementing
an alfalfa hay-based diet with fatty acids. Casals et
al. (1999) detected no differences in milk production
between fat-supplemented and unsupplemented graz-
ing dairy ewes; however, these researchers did not mea-
sure total nutrient intakes. In contrast, Alba et al.
(1997) found a tendency for increased milk production
after 35 d of lactation when dairy ewes were supple-
mented with fatty acids to achieve higher energy in-
takes. The results of these and other experiments sug-
gest that the ability of dietary fat to increase milk pro-
duction may depend on the genetic potential of the ewe
to increase production (Scott et al., 1995) as it consumes
more dietary nutrients (Schauff and Clark, 1992;
Schauff et al., 1992b; Teh et al., 1994). The observation
that ewe milk production was numerically similar be-
tween Exp. 1 and 2, with a lower amount of feed con-
sumed per day in Exp. 2, further suggests ewe lactation
potential may have been reached (Table 3).
The percentage of milk fat was higher (P < 0.01), but
lactose content was lower (P < 0.05), in milk produced
by ewes fed the fescue + fatty acids diet than those fed
the fescue diet in Exp. 1 (Table 4). In Exp. 2, dietary
treatment affected milk protein content by the end of
lactation (interaction; P < 0.01). Ewes fed fescue + fatty
acids produced milk with a lower protein content than
those fed the fescue diet on d 50 (4.6 vs. 5.4%; P <
0.01) and 56 (5.0 vs. 5.8%; P < 0.01). Although milk
component yields were similar across treatments in
Exp. 1, ewes fed the fescue + fatty acids diet produced
more milk fat (P < 0.05) than those fed fescue + tallow
in Exp. 2.
An increase in milk fat content or yield is commonly
observed during fat supplementation of dairy cows
(Grummer, 1991; Palmquist et al., 1993) and dairy ewes
(Alba et al., 1997; Casals et al., 1999). Appeddu et al.
(1995) reported a tendency for milk fat content to be
higher in meat-type ewes by the end of lactation, al-
though fat supplementation was not started until d 19
after lambing. Supplemental fat also has been shown
to decrease percentages of milk protein and lactose in
dairy cows (Coppock and Wilks, 1991; DePeters and
Cant, 1992) and ewes (Appeddu et al., 1995; Alba et
al., 1997). Similar to the results of Exp. 2, Casals et
al. (1999) reported milk protein content decreased as
lactation progressed in fat-supplemented ewes.
Whereas other researchers (Appeddu et al., 1995; Alba
et al., 1997; Casals et al., 1999) have reported declines
in milk protein and lactose yields, no changes in the
production of these components were detected when fat
was supplemented in either Exp. 1 or 2.
Milk Fat Composition
Supplementing with fatty acids decreased (P < 0.01)
the proportion of milk fat 14:0 in both experiments
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Appeddu et al. 2786
Table 4. Ewe milk production and composition
Experiment 1
a
Experiment 2
a
Fescue + Fescue + Fescue +
Item Alfalfa Fescue fatty acids SD
b
Fescue fatty acids tallow SD
b
Yield, kg/24 h 2.45 2.23 2.33 0.351 2.48 2.39 2.16 0.263
Milk component, % as-is
DM 20.4 20.1 23.9 4.18 21.1 23.1 20.8 1.95
Fat 8.9
ef
8.3
e
11.4
f
1.70 9.9 12.1 9.7 1.88
CP 4.6 4.7 4.6 0.18 4.7 4.6 4.8 0.40
Lactose 4.8
cd
4.9
c
4.6
d
0.20
h

h
Milk component yield, g/24 h
DM 505 445 551 99.4 527 548 459 160.4
Fat 224 186 261 120.8 244
cd
289
c
211
d
60.5
CP 111 103 106 23.8 115 111 103 16.4
Lactose 118 110 109 15.6
h

h
Milk fat composition, % of total
g
14:0 14.4
e
13.9
e
9.0
f
1.12 12.1
e
9.3
f
12.1
e
1.11
14:1 0.2
cd
0.2
c
0.1
d
0.06
i

i
16:0 37.3 32.6 35.7 3.22 32.0
c
36.7
d
31.8
c
2.24
16:1 0.8 1.0 1.0 0.22 1.1
e
1.0
f
1.0
f
0.03
18:0 21.4 25.4 25.8 4.10 15.7 15.1 16.7 1.44
18:1 21.9 23.5 24.8 3.10 37.3 35.2 36.8 3.07
18:2 3.4 2.9 3.0 0.30 2.8 2.7 2.6 0.22
18:3 0.6 0.5 0.6 0.12
i

i
a
Treatments: alfalfa = alfalfa hay-based diet; fescue = endophyte-free fescue hay-based diet; fescue + fatty acids = fescue treatment with
calcium salts of palm oil fatty acids; fescue + tallow = fescue treatment with hydrogenated tallow.
b
Standard deviation, where SEM = SD/n (Exp. 1: n = 4; Exp. 2: n = 6, 5, and 6 across treatments, respectively).
c,d
Means in the same row with different subscripts differ within experiment (P < 0.05).
e,f
Means in the same row with different subscripts differ within experiment (P < 0.01).
g
Carbon chain length:number of unsaturated bonds.
h
Not analyzed.
i
Not detected.
Figure 1. Ewe milk production over lactation for Exp.
2 (SD = 0.59 kg; n = 6, 5, and 6, respectively, for ewes
fed a fescue hay-based diet, a fescue hay-based diet with
the calcium salts of palm oil fatty acids [Megalac], or a
fescue hay-based diet with hydrogenated tallow [Rumi-
cal] from d 14 to 57 of lactation). A treatment lactation
day interaction (P < 0.03) was found, with treatment dif-
ferences (
a,b
P < 0.07) detected on d 29 and 43 of lactation.
(Table 4). Other researchers have reported lowered per-
centages of 14 carbon and shorter chain lengths in the
milk fat of dairy cows supplemented with fat (Grum-
mer, 1991; Schauff and Clark, 1992; Alba et al., 1997).
This decrease may be attributed to an increased incor-
poration of preformed, longer-chain fats (16 carbon)
into milk fat, which has been shown to inhibit the ace-
tyl-CoA carboxylase pathway and thus prevent the
elongation of shorter-chain fats during de novo milk
fat synthesis (Grummer, 1991; Palmquist et al., 1993).
Proportion of 14:0 did not decrease in the milk of ewes
fed fescue + tallow in Exp. 2, suggesting smaller
amounts of long-chain fats were supplied to the mam-
mary gland by this treatment than with the fescue +
fatty acids diet.
Although the proportion of milk fat 16:0 was not
changed in Exp. 1, the highest percentage of 16:0 (P <
0.05) was found in the milk of ewes fed fescue + fatty
acids in Exp. 2. Fatty acid 16:0 may either be synthe-
sized by the mammary gland or incorporated directly
into milk fat (Grummer, 1991; Palmquist et al., 1993).
Therefore, a maintenance or increase in this fatty acid
suggests a sufcient level of 16:0 was supplied by the
fescue + fatty acids diet (Table 2) to offset the depressed
synthesis of 16:0 often observed when feeding other fat
sources (Grummer, 1991). The nding that the fescue
+ tallow diet did not change milk 16:0 (Table 4) again
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Supplementing fat to lactating ewes 2787
Table 5. Ewe and twin lamb measures
Experiment 1
a
Experiment 2
a
Fescue + Fescue + Fescue +
Item Alfalfa Fescue fatty acids SD
b
Fescue fatty acids tallow SD
b
Ewe measure
Initial ewe BW, kg 74.8 84.8 80.2 6.88 83.6 78.0 78.2 6.73
BW change, kg
c
2.4
g
3.8
g
8.6
h
2.80 6.5 6.6 7.8 1.94
Initial BCS
cd
2.8 3.6 3.0 0.7 3.7 3.6 3.8 0.6
BCS change
cd
0.2 0.5 0.6 0.4 0.9 0.6 0.8 0.5
Total OM intake, kg
e
122.6
ij
130.9
i
115.2
j
6.6 157.9
g
133.8
h
132.1
h
14.9
Twin lamb measure
ADG, kg/d
c
0.44 0.46 0.46 0.090 0.41 0.43 0.37 0.059
WW, kg/ewe
f
37.1 40.4 39.0 5.70 38.3
gh
39.3
g
33.7
h
3.86
Feed conversion, g of BW change/kg of ewe OM intake
Ewe
c
19
g
29
g
76
h
24.2 43 49 59 16.4
Twin lamb
c
127 122 138 24.6 140
g
178
h
151
g
21.6
a
Treatments: alfalfa = alfalfa hay-based diet; fescue = endophyte-free fescue hay-based diet; fescue + fatty acids = fescue treatment with
calcium salts of palm oil fatty acids; fescue + tallow = fescue treatment with hydrogenated tallow.
b
Standard deviation, where SEM = SD/n (Exp. 1: n = 4; Exp. 2: n = 6, 5, and 6 across treatments, respectively).
c
Determined from d 4 to 56 (Exp. 1) and d 8 to 57 (Exp. 2) of lactation.
d
Body condition score evaluated by visual and handling appraisal on a scale of 0 (emaciated) to 5 (obese).
e
Determined from d 4 to 56 (Exp. 1) and d 14 to 57 (Exp. 2) of lactation.
f
Weaning weight adjusted to 60 d and for lamb sex, birth weight, birth type, and ewe age.
g,h
Means in the same row with different subscripts differ within experiment (P < 0.05).
i,j
Means in the same row with different subscripts differ within experiment (P < 0.01).
suggests that this diet did not supply enough fat to the
mammary gland to alter milk fat composition.
Although 18:0, 18:1, 18:2, and 18:3 comprised over
40% of the fat composition of ewe diets (Table 2), no
treatment differences were detected in their propor-
tions in ewe milk fat (Table 4). Other researchers have
found increased percentages of 18.0 and 18:1 whenfeed-
ing fat (Schauff et al., 1992a; Alba et al., 1997). Al-
though the 18-carbon-chain-length fatty acids in milk
fat arise primarily from preformed sources (Grummer,
1991; Palmquist et al., 1993), restricting intakes to
meet ewe nutrient requirements may have prevented
more signicant changes inmilk fat compositioninExp.
1 and 2. On average, ewes in Exp. 2 produced milk fat
with lower percentages of 18:0, but higher 18:1, than
in Exp. 1. Although lower ewe nutrient intakes in Exp.
2 may have contributed to this difference (Garnsworthy
and Huggett, 1992), it was not possible to differentiate
between body and dietary contributions to milk fat in
these experiments.
Ewe and Lamb Measures
Because animal numbers were limited due to experi-
mental restrictions of ewes to lamb in the fall and to
bear twin lambs, only preliminary effects of feeding
fat on weight changes and production efciencies are
discussed. Ewe weights and BCS are shown in Table
5. In Exp. 1, ewes fed fescue + fatty acids lost the most
weight (P < 0.05), but no differences were detected for
changes in body condition. Losses in ewe weight and
body condition were similar across treatments in Exp.
2. Differences between experiments agree with the re-
view by Chilliard (1993), who reported inconsistent
changes in body reserves when supplemental fat was
fed to dairy cows. This author concluded that changes
in BW and condition during fat supplementation de-
pend on the extent of the increase and improved ener-
getic efciency of milk production while milk fat de
novo synthesis is decreased. Another inuencing factor
may have been the difference in initial ewe BCS, which
was lower in Exp. 1. Although milk production was not
changed, ewes supplemented with fatty acids in Exp.
1 were least efcient (P < 0.05) in using dietary nutri-
ents to minimize BW loss. In contrast, Garnsworthy
and Huggett (1992) determined that feeding fatty acids
caused thin dairy cows to produce less milk and main-
tain body reserves, whereas higher conditioned cows
supplemented with fat lost more body fat and produced
milk with a higher fat content.
In Exp. 1, the efciency of milk DM production was
increased (P < 0.05) by feeding fescue + fatty acids vs.
the fescue diet (202 vs. 145 15.5 g of milk DM/kg of
ewe OM intake). The amount of milk fat produced per
unit of fat intake was similar across treatments in Exp.
1 (1.5 0.23 g of milk fat/g of ewe fat intake). However,
in Exp. 2, ewes fed the fescue diet produced more (P <
0.05) milk fat per unit of fat consumed (2.3 0.17 g/g)
than those fed fatty acids (1.6 0.19 g/g) or tallow (1.3
0.17 g/g). This suggests ewes without supplemental
fat had to depend more on mobilized body fat and/or de
novo fat synthesis to support efciencies of milk fat
production equal to fat supplemented ewes. The data
also suggest ewes fed the less digestible fescue + tallow
diet had to rely on alternative precursors of milk fat to
achieve a similar conversion rate as those fed fescue +
fatty acids. Overall, ewes fed fescue + fatty acids pro-
duced the most milk fat (Table 4). Offering larger
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Appeddu et al. 2788
amounts of diets in Exp. 1 caused ewes to produce less
milk per unit of feed than in Exp. 2 (808 57.7 vs. 948
54.5 g milk/kg ewe OMI).
Twin lamb performance was similar across treat-
ments in Exp. 1 (Table 5). In Exp. 2, ewes fed the fescue
+ tallowdiet weaned lighter (P< 0.05) lambs than those
fed fescue + fatty acids. Results suggest lower milk
yields and milk fat production of ewes fed fescue +
tallow(Table 4) contributed to lower lamb performance.
Ewes fed fescue + fatty acids produced a higher (P <
0.05) lamb ADG per ewe OMI in Exp. 2 (Table 5) as a
result of feeding this diet at a lower rate (Table 3). In
Exp.1, lamb gain per unit of ewe dietary fat intake was
more efcient (P < 0.05) for the fescue + fatty acids
diet than for the alfalfa diet (1.9 vs. 3.1 0.26 g/g).
Conversion of ewe dietary fat to lamb gain was interme-
diate for the fescue diet (2.6 g/g). Ewes fed the fescue
diet in Exp. 2 produced more (P < 0.01) lamb gain per
unit of fat consumed by ewes (4.0 0.12 g/g) than those
fed fescue + fatty acids (2.5 0.12 g/g) or tallow (2.4
0.12 g/g). Lamb gain per unit of ewe milk fat production
was similar across treatments in Exp. 1 (1.9 0.45 g/
g) and Exp. 2 (2.0 0.36 g/g). Results indicate increasing
dietary fat in ewe diets does not proportionally increase
lamb gain. Furthermore, neither milk fat yield nor com-
position was changed enough by fat treatments to in-
crease the efciency of milk fat conversion into lamb
gain.
Casals et al. (1999) found a numerical increase in
lamb weaning weights at 4 wk of age and a more ef-
cient conversion of milk into lamb gain when feeding
fat to dairy ewes. Hernandez et al. (1986) reported a 1-
kg increase in lamb weight by 35 d of lactation when
meat-type ewes were fed fat. However, other research-
ers did not nd increased lamb performance when ewes
were supplemented with fat (Appeddu et al., 1995; Alba
et al., 1997; Espinoza et al., 1998). Twin lamb gain
decreased as lactation progressed in both of the current
experiments (P < 0.001), from an average of 0.54 kg/d
(d 15 to 22) to 0.27 kg/d (d 50 to 57). These results
suggest lamb nutrient requirements exceeded milk nu-
trient production (Torres-Hernandez and Hohenboken,
1980; Hussein and Jordan, 1990). Managing lambs to
consume only ewe milk in both experiments may have
prevented nonmilk nutrients as normally consumed by
lambs, such as creep feed or high-quality pasture, from
interacting with changes inmilk production or composi-
tion to accelerate lamb growth when meat-type ewes
were supplemented with fat. Further evaluation is war-
ranted to determine the effects of supplementing fat to
meat-type ruminants when lactation potential is
higher, forage quality is lower, and/or when lambs have
access to feed sources other than ewe milk.
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