The Effect of Stilbestrol on Fattening Lambs

Abstract

The subcutaneous implantation of a 12-milligram pellet of stilbestrol in the neck, at the base of the ear, of either four-month-old feeder lambs or seven to eight-month-old feeder lambs, significantly increased the rate of gain. This increase amounted to an average of .08 pound per lamb daily in both trials. In the first trial, the feed required for each hundred pounds of gain was reduced 16 percent by the treatment with stilbestrol and in the second experiment, lambs treated when they were seven to eight months old required 21 percent less feed for each hundred pounds of gain than the control lambs. There was little or no difference in the daily feed consumption of the treated or control lambs, but the stilbestrol treated lambs were easier to keep on full feed than the controls. There was no significant difference in the carcass grade between the treated