Influence of alpha-ketoisocaproate on lamb growth, feed conversion, and carcass composition

Four experiments were conducted to determine whether leucine's alpha-ketoacid, alpha-ketoisocaproate (KIC), would influence lamb growth, feed conversion, and carcass composition. In the first experiment, lambs were injected intraperitoneally with 3.5 g of Na-KIC per day. In the second experiment, KIC unprotected from rumen degradation was fed at a rate of 15 g per animal daily. In a third experiment, KIC, leucine, and isovalerate (IVA), protected from rumen degradation, were fed to growing lambs at a rate of 1 g per animal per day. Finally, a fourth experiment was conducted in which ruminally protected KIC was fed to growing lambs at a rate of 1 g per animal per day. Ketoisocaproate tended to increase ADG and decrease fat deposition in all four experiments. Ketoisocaproate increased ADG by 11 (P less than .09), 10 (P less than .05), 9, and 13% in 1 through 4, respectively, and feed efficiency improved 5, 9 (P less than .02), 5, and 5%, respectively. Fat thickness over the 12th rib decreased 28 (P less than .06), 11, 17 (P less than .04), and 5% in Exp. 1 through 4, and the perirenal fat depot also decreased 13, 5, 18, and 3%, respectively. In contrast, neither ruminally protected leucine nor IVA affected the growth of young lambs. Together these studies indicate that administration of KIC to growing lambs can increase weight gain and muscle growth while decreasing fat deposition.