Effect of hay type and breed on the fattening, centesimal and fatty acid composition of Nigerian sheep

This study aimed to evaluate the intake, performance, quality, and fatty acids (FA) composition of the meat of three Nigerian sheep breeds (Balami, Uda, and Yankasa) fed two different hays, Brachiaria decumbens or Digitaria smutsii. A total of sixty sheep, twenty from each breed, Balami, Uda, and Yankasa, were used, with average body weights of 24.7 ± 3.5 kg, 25.5 ± 3.6 kg, and 25.5 ± 3.5 kg, respectively. The sheep were arranged in a factorial 2 (hay types) × 3 (breeds) design within a completely randomized setup, totalling ten experimental units per treatment. There was no significant (p > 0.05) interaction effect between breed and hay type on any variables. Sheep-fed D. smutsii hay presented higher (p ≤ 0.05) DM intake from the concentrate, hay, total feed, final BW, ADG, intramuscular fat, and FA contents than sheep-fed B. decumbens, except for 18:1n-9, where sheep fed B. decumbens presented higher (p ≤ 0.05) concentration. Balami sheep presented higher (p ≤ 0.05) total weight gain than the Uda breed and once performed better than the Yankasa breed, without difference (p > 0.05) to feed efficiency. Longissimus lumborum of the Yankasa breed presented lower concentrations (p ≤ 0.05) of total polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) than Balami and Uda sheep. The content of n-3 and n-6 PUFA (linolenic, EPA, DPA, and DHA), n-6/n-3 ratio, and EPA + DHA were higher in the Balami sheep than in the Uda sheep. Balami breed had the highest carcass weight and meat protein content but had a lower (p ≤ 0.05) moisture content than other breeds. Uda and Yankasa sheep presented similar moisture content (p ≤ 0.05). However, the carcass weight, protein, and fat content of the longissimus lumborum were higher (p ≤ 0.05) in Uda compared to Yankasa sheep. Nigerian sheep fed D. smutsii hay compared to B. decumbens hay to provide greater DM intake, improving fattening and meat fat and increasing all fatty acids in the longissimus lumborum. Balami breed presented greater DM intake, performance, and carcass weight, and consequently higher intramuscular fat deposition and concentration of most fatty acids in the longissimus lumborum than the breeds Uda and Yankasa.