Cull Onion Disposal with SheepCull Onion Disposal with Sheep

Thomas M. McBride

County Extension Director

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Current Project with Colorado Current Project with Colorado Onion AssociationOnion Association

The objectives are to determine if supple-menting cull onions to breeding ewes will: Alter hormonal profiles to

increase ovulation or increase embryonic survival of lambs.

Affect blood mineral parameters and ultimately the immune system of the breeding ewes.

Simulate a flushing response. Affect semen quality in

breeding rams.

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Experimental DesignExperimental Design

A. 180 Rambouillet Ewes are randomly assigned to one of nine treatment groups.

1. Negative Control, ewes are not flushed - fed hay only for the duration of the trial.

2. Onions are used to flush ewes and then onions removed from diet and feed hay only for the duration of the trial.

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Onion TreatmentOnion Treatment

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Onion TreatmentOnion Treatment

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Onion TreatmentOnion Treatment

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Nine Treatment GroupsNine Treatment Groups

3.Onions are used to flush ewes and full- fed onions only till a week prior to lambing.

4.Corn used to flush ewes and then fed hay only for the duration of the trial.

5.Corn used to flush ewes and then hay/corn fed till a week prior to lambing.

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Hay and Corn TreatmentHay and Corn Treatment

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Hay and Corn TreatmentHay and Corn Treatment

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Hay and Corn TreatmentHay and Corn Treatment

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Nine Treatment GroupsNine Treatment Groups

6. Corn used to flush ewes and then full-fed onions till a week prior to lambing.

7. Onions are used to flush ewes and then hay/corn fed till a week prior to

lambing.

8. Ewes not flushed and full-fed onions till a week prior to lambing.

9. Ewes not flushed and hay/corn are fed till a week prior to lambing.

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Hay TreatmentHay Treatment

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Hay TreatmentHay Treatment

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Experimental DesignExperimental Design

B. Nine Rambouillet rams, three animals per gestation diet (hay versus hay/corn versus hay/onions), will be fedcorresponding diets and semen quality measured.

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Experimental DesignExperimental Design

C. Base blood levels will be determined for packed cell volume (anemia), mineral

profiles, LH and FSH levels prior to ovulation and progesterone during pregnancy. After the ewes are lambed, numbers of lambs born live and survivability will be measured. Fleece weight will also be weighed and recorded.

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Disease Pass ThroughDisease Pass Through

Sheep were fed white mold sclerotia for four days.

Fecal samples were collected from the treated ewe and a control ewe for four days.

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Disease Pass ThroughDisease Pass Through

Samples were dried and analyzed for sclerotia.

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ResultsResults

One sclerotium was recovered on day four and passed through with no physical damage.

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ConclusionConclusion

The thinner and more delicate Botrytis sclerotia from onions would probably not survive the feeding and chewing actions of sheep.

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Onion AnalysisOnion Analysis

Moisture 90%Crude Protein 7.4 - 12.9TDN % 83 - 90Calcium .31 - .54 (.35)Phosphorus .34 - .52 (.40)

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Previous Ewe ProjectsPrevious Ewe Projects

A. Drylot-

100% onions consumed

45 lb./day

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Ewe StudyEwe Study

Group 1 - Onions After October 1Group 2 - Onions Beginning September 10Group 3 - Control - 4 lbs. Hay + 1 lb. Grain and

Pasture

FLEECE WEIGHT

Group Fleece Weight

1 9.82

2 9.46

3 9.42

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Ewe StudyEwe Study

Group 1 - Onions After October 1Group 2 - Onions Beginning September 10Group 3 - Control - 4 lbs. Hay + 1 lb. Grain and

Pasture

LAMBING PERCENTAGE

Group Lambs Per Ewe

1 1.654

2 1.80

3 1.65

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Ewe StudyEwe StudyGroup 1 - Onions After October 1Group 2 - Onions Beginning September 10Group 3 - Control - 4 lbs. Hay + 1 lb. Grain and

Pasture

BODY CONDITION SCORE

Group Initial Body Final BodyCondition Score Condition Score

1 2.765 3.573a

2 2.825 3.57a

3 2.82 3.12b

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Ewe Study - Preliminary ResultsEwe Study - Preliminary ResultsOnions Fed Ewes Developed Severe

Anemia by Week TwoNormal Packed Cell Volume (PCV) of Red

Blood Cells is 35-40%By Week Two Onion Fed Ewes 25-30%By One Month Onion Fed Ewes Lows

20’s %By Six Weeks Anemia Had Reached a

Plateau and Did Not Get Worse

Previous Market Lamb ProjectsPrevious Market Lamb Projects

Thomas M. McBride

County Extension Director

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Averages of the 50% Onions, Averages of the 50% Onions, 25% Onions, and Controls25% Onions, and Controls

Treatment StartingWeights

EndingWeights

Total Gain

Control 98.35 lbs. 127.10 lbs. 28.75 lbs.

25% Onions 98.50 lbs. 121.10 lbs. 22.60 lbs.

50% Onions 96.35 lbs. 114.14 lbs. 17.79 lbs.

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Return with Feed Costs @ $5.00 Return with Feed Costs @ $5.00 CWTCWT

Treatment TotalReturn ($)70¢/lb.

Feed Costs$5.00 CWT

Return(s)

Controls $20.12 $13.04 $ 7.08

25% Onions $15.82 $ 9.33 $ 6.49

50% Onions $12.43 $ 6.00 $ 6.43

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Return with Feed Costs @ $5.50 Return with Feed Costs @ $5.50 CWTCWT

Treatment Total Return($) 70¢/lb.

Feed Costs$5.50 CWT

Return(s)

Controls $20.12 $14.35 $ 5.77

25% Onions $15.82 $10.26 $ 5.56

50% Onions $12.43 $ 6.59 $ 5.84

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Carcass and Weigh DataCarcass and Weigh Data

Control 10%Onions

20%Onions

Dressing % 50.3% 48.21% 48.8%

Cold Carcass Wt. 63.93# 62.18# 64.31#

Back Fat .240 .256 .275

Total Gain 22.13 27.56 26.88

Starting Weight 104.75 101.38 104.81

Ending Weight 127.06 128.94 131.69

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Dietary TreatmentsDietary Treatments

Trait CON LON HON SEMW-B Shear Force, kg 2.06 2.09 1.97 .420Juiciness 4.85 5.10 4.98 .218Tenderness 6.06 5.54 5.87 .291Flavor Intensity 5.72 5.46 5.62 .185Flavor Desirability 4.81 4.83 4.87 .210Overall Palatability 4.88 4.93 4.97 .258

a CON = control diet; LON = % DM of low diet onions; HON - DM of high dietonions.

b Warner-Bratzler Shear Force measurement taken on 1.3 cm cores. c Sensory measurements based on an 8 point scale; 8 = extremely juicy, extremely

tender, extremely intense lamb flavor, extremely desirable lamb flavor, andextremely desirable overall palatability; 1 = extremely dry, extremely tough,extremely bland, extremely undesirable lamb flavor, and extremely undesirableoverall palatability.

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Feeding Cull Onion RatesFeeding Cull Onion Rates

Feeding Cull Onion Rates from 0 - 100% of the Diet for the Last 75 Days of the Diet.

ADG IN POUNDS.

Control 25% 50% 75% 100%

.461 .266 .188 .049 (.0857)

-NO CHANGE IN FLAVOR-

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After Three Week Adjustment After Three Week Adjustment PeriodPeriod

Control 25% 50% 75% 100%

.461 .446 .367 .30 .15

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Cull OnionsCull Onions