Table 4.

Effect of starter NDF levels on anatomical development of stomach complex of lambs

	Treatments					P-value2
Items1	NDF14	NDF18	NDF22	NDF26	SEM	Trt	L	Q
BWS, kg	19.06b	21.15ab	22.12a	23.33a	0.55	0.030	0.004	0.648
Carcass weight, kg	8.47b	9.69ab	10.56a	10.88a	0.29	0.001	0.001	0.350
Full weight
Reticulorumen, kg	2.17	2.63	2.17	1.99	1.70	0.614	0.536	0.364
Abomasum, g	34.78	48.53	61.72	70.00	4.80	0.113	0.018	0.793
Omasum, g	187.30	194.77	189.05	196.05	16.61	0.998	0.906	0.995
Empty weight
WSC, g	749.45	722.75	619.98	632.77	28.11	0.277	0.080	0.723
WSC, g/kg of BWS	39.48a	34.30a	27.77b	26.82b	1.35	0.000	0.000	0.247
Reticulorumen, g	626.50	592.50	488.33	476.50	27.23	0.122	0.024	0.829
Reticulorumen, % of WSC	83.41a	81.78ab	78.50bc	74.28c	1.01	0.002	0.000	0.398
Reticulorumen, g/kg of BWS	32.91a	28.14a	21.83b	20.12b	1.33	0.000	0.000	0.384
Abomasum, g	30.23b	30.42b	34.78ab	41.25a	1.53	0.023	0.004	0.240
Abomasum, % of WSC	4.10c	4.25bc	5.59ab	6.87a	0.32	0.002	0.000	0.251
Abomasum, g/kg of BWS	1.62	1.45	1.56	1.77	0.06	0.304	0.304	0.119
Omasum, g	92.72	99.83	96.87	115.02	3.50	0.115	0.040	0.640
Omasum, % of WSC	12.49b	13.97b	15.91ab	18.86a	0.75	0.007	0.001	0.546
Omasum, g/kg of BWS	4.95	4.71	4.38	4.92	0.14	0.476	0.753	0.182
Rumen volume, L	6.06	6.75	6.35	5.82	0.34	0.821	0.744	0.413

¹Full weight or empty weight of stomach organs means the weight of organs with or without digesta.

² L, linear effect; Q, quadratic effect; Trt, treatment effect.

^a–cDifferences between treatments (P < 0.05).