Abstract: [Objective] To investigate the effects of adding different levels of garlic peel to the diet on the growth performance, slaughter performance, meat quality, and economic efficiency of Huanghu F₁ lambs. [Methods] Eighteen 4-month-old male Huanghu F₁ lambs with similar body weight and good body condition were randomly divided into a control group, experimental group 1, and experimental group 2, with three replicates per group and two lambs per replicate. The control group was fed the basal diet, while experimental group 1 and experimental group 2 were fed diets in which 20.00% and 33.34% of garlic peel, respectively, replaced part of peanut vines and corn silage in the roughage portion of the basal diet. The trial included a 7-day pre-experimental period and a 28-day formal experimental period. At the end of formal experimental period, growth performance indicators, slaughter performance indicators and meat quality indicators were measured, and economic efficiency were calculated [Results] Compared with the control group, lambs in the 20.00% garlic peel group showed no significant differences in final body weight, average daily gain, feed-to-gain ratio, pre-slaughter live weight, carcass weight, net meat weight, slaughter rate, meat-to-bone ratio, meat L*, a*, b* values, pH, water-holding capacity, and shear force （P>0.05）; feed-to-gain ratio increased significantly （P<0.05）; eye muscle area increased extremely significantly （P<0.01）, carcass net meat percentage decreased extremely significantly （P<0.01）; cooking loss decreased significantly （P<0.05）. In the 33.34% garlic peel group, compared with the control group, final body weight, slaughter rate, meat-to-bone ratio, meat a* and b* values, pH, water-holding capacity, and shear force showed no significant differences （P>0.05）; eye muscle area increased extremely significantly （P<0.01）; feed-to-gain ratio increased significantly （P<0.05）; pre-slaughter live weight, carcass weight, net meat weight, carcass net meat percentage, and meat L* decreased extremely significantly （P<0.01）; average daily gain and cooking loss decreased significantly （P<0.05）. Compared with the 33.34% garlic peel group, lambs in the 20.00% garlic peel group showed no significant differences in final body weight, average daily gain, slaughter rate, meat-to-bone ratio, meat a* and b* values, and shear force （P>0.05）; pre-slaughter live weight, carcass weight, net meat weight, carcass net meat percentage, eye muscle area, and meat L* increased extremely significantly （P<0.01）; pH and cooking loss increased significantly （P<0.05）; feed-to-gain ratio and water-holding capacity decreased significantly （P<0.05）. Economic efficiency of the 20.00% garlic peel group was the same as the control group, whereas the 33.34% garlic peel group showed a 13.77% reduction in economic efficiency compared with the control. [Conclusion] Adding 20.00% or 33.34% garlic peel to the diet of Huanghu F₁ lambs do not significantly improve growth performance, slaughter performance, or economic efficiency, and has limited effect on overall meat quality improvement.

Key words: garlic peel, Huanghu F₁ lambs, growth performance, slaughter performance, meat quality