Abstract
ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to determine the influence of gender on pre-weaning growth, yield and weight of primal cuts of the carcass of Blackbelly x Pelibuey lambs. 16 twin lambs were used. The lamb gender was the fixed factor. The variables evaluated were: body weight at birth and at weaning, average daily weight gain, weight and yield of carcass and primal cuts: neck, arm, thorax, abdomen and leg. Gender did not affect (P>0.05) body weight at birth. However, the pre-weaning average daily weight gain and body weight at weaning were affected (P<0.05) by the gender. Hot carcass yield and weight and primal cuts were not affected (P>0.05) by the gender of the lamb. Nevertheless, the area of the Longissimus dorsi muscle and cavity fat were different between males and females (P<0.05) 11.5±0.73cm2 and 198±0.05 g vs 9.3±0.73cm2 and 282±0.05g, respectively. In conclusion, in twin lambs Blackbelly x Pelibuey males had greater average daily weight gain and body weight at weaning than females. Carcass yield and weight and primal cuts were not affected by the gender of the lamb. However, males had greater area of the L. dorsi muscle than females and these in turn had a greater amount of cavity fat than males.
Highlights
The high price of a balanced feed to fatten sheep and value acquired by finishing sheep has slowed the growth of sheep inventory in Mexico
Regarding the area of the L. dorsi muscle and cavity fat, both were different between both sexes (P
Hot carcass weights, carcass yield, and real yield reported by these authors for males and females was higher (10.5±0.1 kg, 48.8±0.3% and 54.5±0.3% in males and 10.4±0.1 kg, 49.0±0.3 and 55.1±0.3% in females, respectively) than those obtained in this study (Table 2)
Summary
The high price of a balanced feed to fatten sheep and value acquired by finishing sheep (standing) has slowed the growth of sheep inventory in Mexico. These circumstances make it necessary to seek alternatives for nutritional management and marketing alternatives to improve the final price of sheep in order to obtain greater commercial benefit for producers. There are several factors such as genotype, birth type, lambing weight, lambing season, gender, age of lamb at weaning and lambing number (Hinojosa-Cuellar et al, 2009, 2012; Ríos-Utrera et al, 2014) that can influence the growth of lambs and their final body composition (carcass and / or meat). In studies evaluating the lamb growth the productive performance of ewes during lactation or their subsequent reproductive behavior is not documented
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