Increased Dietary Protein to Energy Ratio in Pre-Weaning Lambs Increases Average Daily Gain and Cortical Bone Thickness in the Tibia

The objective of this study was to examine if diets differing in crude protein (CP) metabolizable energy (ME) ratio (CP:ME) pre-weaning altered peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) measures bone mass and strength lambs. left hind leg lambs were available at the completion a trial designed effect that altering CP:ME milk replacer had on growth body composition pre-weaned reared artificially. Treatments consisted either normal commercial (CMR, n = 10) containing 240 g/kg CP 21.89 MJ/kg ME, high (HPM, 9) CMR with additional concentrate reach 478.7 19.15 ME or mix adjusted twice-weekly match optimal requirements (MB, 8) based maintenance plus 300 g/d liveweight gain. At 22 kg live weight, euthanized tibia including surrounding muscle collected scanned using pQCT mid-diaphysis. Lambs HPM MB greater average daily gain (p < 0.01). There limited differences morphology mass, though notably higher (MB HPM) associated cortical thickness 0.05) and, therefore, potentially peak maturity This finding demonstrates diets, content particular, may influence developmental potential long bones attainment maturity.