Evaluation of the performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality of Hararghe-highland sheep drinking lake Basaka water with varying salinity levels at Haramaya university, Ethiopia

Abstract

ABSTRACT The objective was to evaluate effects of lake water salt levels on the performance, carcass traits, and meat qualities of Hararghe highland sheep. Twenty-four sheep, averaging 8 months old with an initial body weight of 19.10±0.11 kg, were divided into groups of four based on the salt percentage of the water treatments: freshwater (500 mg/l total dissolved solids (TDS)), moderately saline lake water (MSW) with 2600 mg/l TDS, saline lake water (SLW) with 5300 mg/l TDS, and hypersaline lake water (HLW) with 7950 mg/l TDS. The experiment showed that there were significant impacts on factors such as final body weight, average body gain, water intake, certain digestibility and carcass characteristics. Meat quality also differed between sheep supplied with freshwater and those supplied with saline water. However, supplying lake water with salinity levels up to 7950 mg/l TDS did not negatively impact the carcass characteristics or meat quality of sheep..