Growth Performance, Rumen Fermentation, In Vivo Digestibility, and Meat Quality of Pelibuey Lambs Fed a Diet with Ensiled Coffee Pulp

Coffee pulp has been included in ruminant diets; but until now, little has been known about how the addition of ensiled coffee pulp (ECP) affects the growth performance of lambs. This study explores the diet's antioxidant capacity, tannins, and caffeine concentration and its effect on water intake, growth performance, rumen variables, in vivo digestibility, nitrogen balance, and carcass and meat characteristics of lambs fed ECP. Thirty-six male Pelibuey lambs were distributed randomly to one of three treatments (n = 12): without ECP0; diet with 10% ECP10, and diet with 20% ECP20. The diets' antioxidant capacity, tannins, and caffeine concentration were similar (p > 0.05) for all treatments. The diets' antioxidant compounds and the blood serum's antioxidant capacity were affected (p < 0.05). Dry matter and water intake, body-weight gain, and feed conversion were not significant (p > 0.05). No differences (p > 0.05) were found in the rumen variables or the nitrogen balance. However, the in vivo digestibility of crude protein was affected (p < 0.05). Carcass and meat quality were not affected (p > 0.05) by the inclusion of ECP, except temperature and redness (a*) at seven days of storage, respectively. Including up to 20% of ECP in the diet of lambs did not affect the growth performance, rumen variables, or nitrogen balance; however, the antioxidant compounds of the diets, the antioxidant capacity in blood serum, and the in vivo digestibility of crude protein were different. There was an increase in the redness (a*) and lower temperature in the Longissimus dorsi muscle, keeping lightness (L*), yellowness (b*), water-holding capacity, and texture at seven storage days.