Production and biological value of meat of young sheep different breeds in varios breeding zones of the Middle Volga region

Abstract

Sheep meat is a valuable product that is in great demand on the world market. It is known that lamb has high nutritional and taste qualities. In terms of protein content, it is close to beef, and superior to pork. At the same time, the calorie content of lamb is higher than that of beef. The purpose of the work was to study the production and biological value of meat from young sheep of different breeds in various breeding zones of the Middle Volga region. Under the conditions of the forest-steppe and steppe natural-climatic zones of the Saratov region, a comparative study of indicators of meat productivity and biological value of meat of young sheep of diff erent breeds were carried out such as Volgograd, Tsigai and Edilbaevskaya. Experimental groups in each breed were formed simultaneouslyin both natural zones under identical conditions. It has been established that it is more economically profi table to rear young animals of Volgograd breed in the steppe natural zone. Thus, at the age of 4 months the level of profitability was 44,4 abs.% higher than in the forest-steppe zone, and at 7 months of age by 37,9 abs.% higher than during the slaughter of herdmates from the forest-steppe natural zone. The slaughter of Tsigai breed rams is more profi table in the forest-steppe zone. Thus, at the age of 4 months the level of profi tability was 3,0 times higher, and at 7 months in 3,9 times higher than that of herdmates from the steppe zone. With more profi table production the lamb of Tsigai sheep had a higher biological value. When producing lamb of Edilbaevskaya breed, it is advisable to slaughter young animals at 4 months of age regardless of the zone of their rearing and it is economically profi table to slaughter young animals at the age of 7 months in the steppe natural zone where the level of profitability was higher by 10,5 abs.%.