Effect of ewe's milk versus milk-replacer rearing on mineral composition of suckling lamb meat and liver

The effect of ewe's milk versus artificial rearing on the mineral content of suckling lambs muscle and liver was investigated, using a practically non-destructive sampling of carcasses. Mineral content was determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES).Significant differences in mineral composition of muscle and liver were observed between the two groups belonging to each type of weaning. In muscle, these differences were mostly detected for Na, Zn and particularly Mn contents. As for the liver's mineral content, significant higher concentrations of K, P and Cu and lower amounts of Zn and Mn were observed in samples from ewe's milk reared lambs, when compared to those from hand reared ones.Results obtained lead to the conclusion that mineral composition of suckling lamb's muscle and liver differed significantly according to the mineral intake of the ingested milk or formula. However, determination of the mineral content of either lambs’ muscle or liver does not seem to provide an accurate and sensible method for discriminating between carcasses from either type of rearing.