Carcass Characteristics Of Lambs Research Articles

90 Growth and carcass characteristics of ram, wether, and short-scrotum lambs: year 2

Abstract This was the second year of a study comparing the growth and carcass characteristics of (intact) ram, wether, and short-scrotum lambs from a commercial sheep dairy in Maryland. East Friesian x Lacaune lambs were left intact (RAM, n = 21), castrated (WETHER, n = 25), or made short-scrotum (SS, n = 18). All banding of WETHER and SS lambs was done by d 10. When the lambs averaged 65±17 d and 44.5±10.6 lbs., they were transported to the Western Maryland Research & Education Center, where they grazed cool season pastures and were supplemented with grain (3 lb/d) for 107 d, before being harvested to collect carcass data. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS, with statistical significance set at P ≤ 0.05. Fixed effects included sex and birth type; starting weight was included as a covariate. There was an effect of birth type on final BW, ADG, HCW, CCW, and body wall thickness (BWT), favoring twin-born lambs. RAM and SS lambs had heavier final BW (P < 0.0001) and ADG (P < 0.0001) than WETHER lambs. RAM lambs had heavier hot (P < 0.01) and cold carcass (P < 0.005) weights than WETHER lambs; SS lambs were intermediate. Dressing percentage was higher (P < 0.004) for WETHER lambs and similar for RAM and SS lambs. RAM and SS lambs had larger REA than WETHER lambs (P < 0.03), but not when adjusted to a common weight (P < 0.71). WETHER lambs produced the fattest carcasses, as evidenced by greater BF (3.8±0.2 mm) than RAM and SS lambs (2.2±0.2 mm and 2.7±0.2 mm, respectively). Sex did not influence BWT, KPH, or leg conformation score. RAM lambs yielded a higher percentage of BCTRC (49.9±0.2%) than WETHER lambs (49.1±0.2%); SS lambs were intermediate (49.6±0.3%). For the second year in a row, RAM and SS lambs demonstrated superior growth and carcass composition compared to WETHER lambs.

Predicting the carcass characteristics of Morada Nova lambs using biometric measurements

The objective of this work was to use biometric measurements to predict carcass characteristics of lambs of the Morada Nova breed. We used 48 lambs with mean initial body weight (BW) of 15.0±0.04 kg and slaughter body weight (SBW) of 26.37±2.43 kg. The animals were weighed weekly and underwent a period of adaptation of 15 days before slaughter. The biometric measurements were obtained the day before slaughter, comprising body length, withers height, rump height, thigh length, breast width, rump [...]

Carcass characteristics of Patanwadi ram lambs maintained under intensive feeding system

The present study was aimed to evaluate the carcass traits of Patanwadi ram lambs at 6.9 months (207 days; Gr-1) and 9.6 months (288 days; Gr-2) maintained under an intensive feeding system. The study involved 10 Patanwadi ram lambs maintained on Cenchrus ciliaris grass and supplemented 300 g concentrate daily. The lambs were slaughtered after fasting for 18 h to assess the carcass traits. The body length and live weights were significantly higher in Gr-2 lambs. Empty body weights, hot carcass weights, and dressing yields were significantly higher in Gr-2 than Gr-1. Loin eye area was significantly lower in Gr-1. In primal cuts, weights of the leg, loin, rack, neck and shoulder and breast, and foreshank were significantly different between the groups. The chilling losses were comparable among the groups. The lean yields did not differ significantly for Gr-1 and Gr-2. The subcutaneous fat was significantly higher in loin cut in Gr-2. The intermuscular fat contents were significantly lower for Gr-1. The dissected bone yields were comparable for Gr-1 and Gr-2. Lean: fat and meat: bone ratios were comparable. The present study indicated that Patanwadi ram lambs produce a desirable carcass with lean, fat and bone contents at 6-7 months of age with 30 kg body weight. Though carcass yield was higher at 9-10 months of age it-s not economical to rear ram lambs after 6 months because of poor growth rate and feed efficiency.

The effect of a perennial wheat and lucerne biculture diet on feed intake, growth rate and carcass characteristics of Australian lambs

A pen feeding study was conducted using 10 month old Poll Dorset × Merino ewe lambs to test the effect of perennial wheat forage on growth rates and carcass characteristics in comparison to annual wheat forage. Individual lambs (n = 48) were fed one of four diets, namely perennial wheat (PW), annual wheat (W), perennial wheat + lucerne (alfalfa) (PW + L) or annual wheat + lucerne (W + L). Lambs were monitored for 28 days during which daily forage quality, forage mineral content, feed intake and weekly liveweight change were recorded. At the completion of the feeding period all lambs were slaughtered in a commercial abattoir. At 24 h post-slaughter the left hand side longissimus lumborum muscle (LL) was removed and assessed for quality attributes. Feed intake increased over the 28 days with W fed lambs eating a greater amount compared to PW fed lambs. The addition of lucerne to the cereal forage (PW + L and W + L) increased feed intake (P < 0.001) of the lambs. However, there were no independent dietary effects on liveweight, carcass weight, carcass traits, including yield parameters, pH declines or fresh colorimetrics. Both the W and PW diets had potassium (K) concentrations greater than 3%. Sodium (Na) deficiency was greater in the PW diet. This indicated that lambs fed these diets would be exposed to impaired calcium (Ca) metabolism and reduced magnesium (Mg) absorption. The addition of lucerne to both cereal forages increased the intake of Ca and Mg and lowered the tetany index. Preferential selection of lucerne was observed in lambs fed the PW + L diet compared to those fed W + L. However, the Na deficiency was not resolved by the addition of lucerne and the dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) remained high for all diets. Low Na content and consequential effects of a high K:Na + Mg ratio may have limited the expression of higher growth rates (range 55–110 g per day) from the different diets offered. The high DCAD implies calcium homeostasis would be challenged by all diets. This study establishes the value of perennial wheat as a novel forage source as there were no unfavorable effects on lamb carcass parameters, however the mineral imbalances in the forage would need to be managed in the same way as they are presently managed in grazing systems using dual-purpose annual wheat.

Effects of dietary energy level on the performance and carcass characteristics of lambs

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of ration energy levels on the performance and carcass characteristics of confined lambs. Four energy levels were evaluated: 2.00; 2.28; 2.54, and 2.80 Mcal of ME kg-1DM, with the last content being recommended by the National Research Council [NRC] (2007) for daily weight gains of 300 g. Twenty-four crossbred Ile de France ram lambs (six per treatment) at 240.0 ± 9.6 days of age and 26.6 ± 3.8 kg body weight, fed with isoprotein diets (158 g kg-1, CP) were used. The confinement lasted 57 days. Final body weight, cold carcass weight, and cold carcass yield were linearly and positively influenced by diet energy content. Food intake, average daily weight gain, and feed conversion were quadratically influenced by energy level, where the highest averages were observed under diets containing between 2.54 and 2.80 Mcal. In percentage terms, the main carcass cuts (leg and shoulder) were not influenced by diet energy level. In terms of the shoulder tissue composition, it was observed that bone content decreased linearly, fat content increased quadratically, and muscle content was not affected by the energy content of the diet. It was concluded that diets with higher energy densities lead to the production of heavier carcasses with higher yields, as well as increased weight gains. Optimal diets should therefore contain between 2.54 and 2.80 Mcal of ME kg-1DM.

Prediction of Carcass Traits of Hair Sheep Lambs Using Body Measurements.

Simple SummarySome authors have reported that the use of body measurements (BMs) could be a useful tool for predicting carcass characteristics in sheep. Hair sheep breeds have been adopted for lamb production in the tropical regions of Latin America. Among these, Pelibuey and Katahdin breeds and their crosses have shown great reproductive capacity and adaptation, contributing to improving the productive efficiency of flocks in tropical production systems. However, few studies have been carried out on this breeds to define its BMs correctly, and little work has been found using BMs to predict the carcass characteristics in different physiological stages.The present study was designed to evaluate the relationship between the body measurements (BMs) and carcass characteristics of hair sheep lambs. Twenty hours before slaughter, the shrunk body weight (SBW) and BMs were recorded. The BMs involved were height at withers (HW), rib depth (RD), body diagonal length (BDL), body length (BL), pelvic girdle length (PGL), rump depth (RuD), rump height (RH), pin-bone width (PBW), hook-bone width (HBW), abdomen width (AW), girth (GC), and abdomen circumference (AC). After slaughter, the carcasses were weighed and chilled for 24 h at 1 °C, and then were split by the dorsal midline. The left-half was dissected into total soft tissues (muscle + fat; TST) and bone (BON), which were weighed separately. The weights of viscera and organs (VIS), internal fat (IF), and offals (OFF—skin, head, feet, tail, and blood) were also recorded. The equations obtained for predicting SBW, HCW, and CCW had an r2 ranging from 0.89 to 0.99, and those for predicting the TST and BON had an r2 ranging from 0.74 to 0.91, demonstrating satisfactory accuracy. Our results indicated that use of BMs could accurately and precisely be used as a useful tool for predicting carcass characteristics of hair sheep lambs.

The effect of adding protected amino acids (methionine and lysine) on the performance and carcass characteristics of male Arabi lambs

This study was conducted at the Agricultural Research Station of the College of Agriculture / Basra University / Karma Ali site for the period from July 2019 to May 2020, to assess the effect of adding protected amino acids (methionine and lysine and their mixture) on the performance of Arab lambs and some characteristics of carcasses. So (16) male lambs were selected with an average weight of 27.95 kg and at the age of 5-6 months, and were randomly distributed to four transactions by four animals per treatment and were housed in separate cages for each group which; first the control treatment (without additives); the second treatment (5g) of protected methionine; the third treatment (5g) of protected lysine; the fourth treatment (5g + 5g) of protected methionine and lysine per kg of feed mixture for (90) days. The results indicated a significant increase (p&lt; 0.05) in favor of the fourth and second treatments in the final live body weight rates and the daily and total weight gain compared with&nbsp;the first treatment and there was an improvement in the amount of feed consumed and the efficiency of food conversion. Also, there was a significant increase (p&lt; 0.05) in carcass weights, clearance ratios, and weights of the shoulder and leg joints of the fourth and second treatments compared to the first treatment. There were no differences in the weights of cuts neck, loin, and ribs.

Influence of Different Levels of Ground Oak (Quercus Aegilops) Acorns on Growth Performance and Some Carcass Characteristics of Awassi Lambs

This study was aimed to investigate the effect of feeding different levels of oak acorns on growth and some carcass characteristics of Awassi lambs. Twenty lambs were blocked into four groups (5 lambs/ group) according to live body weight and fed on one of the experimental diets (0, 5, 10 and 15% oak acorns). The results showed no effect of dietary treatments on live body weight throughout the period of study, also there were no effects of treatments on carcass traits except for rib-eye muscle area which was largest in the group fed on 5% acorns. It could be concluded that feeding Awassi lambs on ground oak acorns has no adverse effects on growth performance and health condition.

Slaughter Characteristics of Feedlot-Finished Premium South African Lamb: Effects of Sex and Breed Type.

This study compared the carcass characteristics of ram and ewe lambs from South African wool, dual-purpose, meat, and fat-tailed sheep types, reared to produce premium lamb carcasses. The lambs were reared on a feedlot diet (10.41 MJ ME/kg feed and 19.06% crude protein) from weaning (30 kg live weight) until they attained a back-fat depth of ~4 mm, measured using ultrasound. After slaughter, the carcasses were assessed for retail cut yields, composition, and physical meat quality. Later, maturing lambs attained heavier carcass weights than early maturing breeds (~20.7 kg vs. 16.9 kg, respectively; p ≤ 0.05), and differences in carcass composition and retail cut yields were ascribed to differences in the frame size and pattern of fat deposition of the respective breeds. Small differences in physical meat quality were observed, with meat from Dormer and Namaqua lambs having notably higher shear-force values (~46 N) than that from Meatmaster carcasses (~34 N). These differences though are expected to have little influence on the perceived quality of the meat.

Effect of enriched-chromium yeast on growth performance, carcass characteristics and fatty acid profile in finishing Rambouillet lambs

• Supplementation of enriched-Cr yeast increased 12th rib back fat thickness by 23.3 %. • Intramuscular fat was decreased by 15.5 % in lambs supplemented with enriched-Cr yeast. • Enriched-Cr yeast marginally increased palmitic fatty acid in the meat. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of enriched-chromium yeast (YCr) on growth performance, carcass characteristics and Longissimus dorsi muscle (LM) composition of finishing lambs. Fourteen Rambouillet lambs (23.3 ± 2.9 kg BW) were assigned to two treatments in a completely randomized design with 7 lambs per treatment: (i) Basal diet (control), (ii) YCr (Basal diet+0.3 mg of Cr/kg DM). The Cr was supplied as enriched-Cr yeast during the 74 days of the feeding period. The basal diet (13.9 % CP and 7.83 MJ NEm/kg DM) contained 85 % concentrate (ground corn, canola meal, soybean meal, wheat bran, mineral and vitamin premix and sodium bicarbonate) and 15 % ground corn stover. Lambs were weighed on day 1, 42 and 74 of the feedlot experiment. Enriched YCr supplementation had no effect ( P > 0. 05) on animal performance and carcass characteristics of lambs. YCr tended to increase 12th rib back fat thickness ( P < 0.10), increased ( P < 0.05) LM pH 45 min postmortem and tended to increase LM pH 24 h postmortem ( P < 0.10). Meat chemical composition and shear force was not affected ( P > 0.05) but meat intramuscular fat tended to decrease ( P < 0.10) in response to YCr supplementation. For meat fatty acids profile, no effect was noted with YCr supplementation.

The size of fat tail does not have an effect on growth performance and carcass characteristics in Lori-Bakhtiari lambs

• Fat tail size has a wide variety in Lori- Bakhtiari sheep breed. • Fat tail size had no effect on feed intake and feed conversion ratio. • Fat tail size had no effect on growth traits of Lori-Bakhtiari lambs breed. • The small size of fat tail can reduce the feeding period and increase the profit. • Fat tail size affects the distribution of fat deposition in other parts of the body. This study compared the growth performance and carcass characteristics of Lori-Bakhtiari lambs with three types of fat tail. Thirty lambs were divided into three groups according to the size of their fat tail: big (BF), medium (MF), and small (SF) fat tail. The weaned lambs were finished over 100 days, and their average daily gain (ADG) and feed intake (FI) were measured, and the feed conversion ratio (FCR) was calculated accordingly. At the end of experiment, all lambs were slaughtered and the fat surrounding their intestines and abdomen as visceral fat (VF) and their kidneys and pelvic fat (KPF) as internal fat were weighed. The hot carcasses were weighed and the fat tails were cut and weighed for each carcass. Finally, the subcutaneous fats (SCF) related to the left side of the carcasses were dissected and weighed. ADG, FI, and FCR were not affected by the size of the fat tail. Final body weights of BF, MF, and SF were 59.0 ± 0.71, 58.7 ± 0.68, and 59.8 ± 0.70 kg, respectively (P >0.05). The weight of the fat tail was 8.7 ± 0.29, 7.6 ± 0.28, and 6.3 ± 0.28 kg for BF, MF, and SF lambs, respectively ( P < 0.0001). An inverse relationship was found between the weight of the fat tail and other fat components of the carcass. The weight of the SCF differed among the lambs ( P < 0.05), and was 3566±387.7, 4395±372.1, and 4743±383.4 g in BF, MF, and SF lambs, respectively. Additionally, the KPF weight was 179±54.8, 268±52.6, 415±54.2 g for BF, MF, and SF lambs, respectively ( P < 0.05). Lambs with SF had the heaviest VF followed by MF and BF (1086±96.0, 629±93.2, and 418±97.1 g, respectively; P < 0 .0003). Total carcass fat and total body fat were similar among the lambs, while the carcass weight without fat tail (CWFT) and carcass weight without fat tail and SCF (NCW) were greater in SF lambs than in MF and BF lambs ( P <0.05). It can be concluded that the lambs with SFs are not superior to those with BFs in terms of FI, weight gain, or FCR, but lambs with SF reached the desired body condition score for slaughtering sooner than those with BF, which in turn prevents the storage of more fat in the other fat depots, especially VF, and reduces the length of the finishing period, thus reducing the production costs.

Comparison of Fattening, Slaughtering and Carcass Characteristics of Different Genotype Lambs Grown in Turkey

In this study, it was aimed to determine the fattening performance, slaughter and carcass characteristics of lambs of Eþme Kývýrcýðý (EKIV), Bursa Kývýrcýðý (BKIV), Çine Çaparý (CC) and Karya (KAR) sheeps. A total of 37 male lambs at the age of 3.5 months formed the animal material. Fattening period is 56 days. During slaughtering, head, feet, skin, liver, hot carcass weights were determined and hot carcass yield was calculated. Each carcass was cut out into 7 parts. The overall average of daily weight gain was 144.82 g. While the highest daily live weight gain was observed in the KAR, the CC had the lowest value. The total share of the rump, shoulders, back and arms are 57.65%, 66.85%, 65.80% and 67.12% for CC, EKIV, KAR and BKIV, respectively. The effect of the genotype on all the characteristics other than cooling loss is important. In terms of dressing percentage value, the ranking was CC, BKIV, KAR and EKIV from the highest to the lowest.

Field Pea can be Included in Fattening Concentrate without Deleterious Effects on the Digestibility and Performance of Lambs.

Simple SummaryThe partial substitution of soybean by field pea (Pisum sativum), a local source of protein, has been encouraged to reduce the dependency of Europe on soybean imports. However, only up to 15% of field pea inclusion in the fattening concentrate of light lambs is recommended. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of the inclusion of field pea in the fattening concentrate on the apparent digestibility, nitrogen balance, animal performance and carcass characteristics of lambs. For that, four isoenergetic and isoproteic concentrates with different proportions of field pea (0%, 10%, 20% and 30%) were compared. The main results were that the in vivo apparent digestibility of the nutrients and retained nitrogen were not affected by field pea inclusion. The performance traits were similar among concentrates, but carcass weight and dressing percentage changed cubically with the inclusion of field pea. Therefore, inclusion of field pea in fattening concentrates above current recommendations could be advisable depending on the prices and availability of the feedstuffs.The inclusion of different proportions of field pea (0%, 10%, 20% and 30%) for partially replacing soybean in the fattening concentrate of lambs was studied for its impact on apparent digestibility and performance during fattening. In the in vivo digestibility trial, 12 lambs (33 kg body weight) were placed in metabolic crates for two periods and received restricted amounts of concentrate and straw. The performance trial involved 54 lambs (13.4 kg body weight) that received concentrate plus straw ad libitum from weaning to slaughter. The intake of crude protein was higher in the 0% pea group than in the other groups (p < 0.05). The inclusion of field pea did not affect the digestibility, N retained or blood metabolites. In the performance trial, most traits were not affected, although a cubic effect of field pea inclusion on hot carcass weight and dressing percentage was observed (p < 0.05). The inclusion of field pea did not affect total protein, urea or β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations but it affected creatinine and cholesterol concentrations (p < 0.05). In conclusion, field pea can constitute up to 30% of the fattening concentrate of lambs without deleterious effects on the digestibility and performance during fattening, and with minor effects on carcass characteristics.

Growth Performance and Carcass Traits of Begait Lambs Fed Diets of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) Hay, Wheat Bran and their Mixtures

The study was conducted at Humera agricultural research centre farm, northern Ethiopia aimed to evaluate the effects of supplementation of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) hay (CPH), wheat bran (WB) and their mixtures on feed intake, average daily gain (ADG) and carcass characteristics of Begait lambs fed grass hay (GH) as a basal diet. The experimental lambs were divided into five groups based on initial body weight and randomly assigned to the five treatments. Treatments were ad libitum feeding of GH and supplemented with 300 g CPH, 225 g CPH + 75 g WB, 150 g CPH + 150 g WB, 75 g CPH + 225 g WB and 300 g WB DM/day for T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5, respectively. Total DM intake was 687.1, 669.4, 719.4, 631.0 and 673.47 gd-1 for T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5, respectively and significantly higher (p&lt;0.001) and lower (p&lt; 0.001) for T3 and T4, respectively and intermediate for others. The ADG was 36.4, 43.6, 52.9, 43.1 and 42.4 gd-1 for lambs in T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5, respectively was higher (p&lt;0.001) for T3. Consequently, the value for hot carcass weight (kg) was significantly higher for T3 (12.92) than T2 (12.61), T1 (11.92), T4 (11.96) and T5 (12.42). Therefore, from the findings of this study, it can be suggested that feeding mixture of 150 g of cowpea hay and 150 g of wheat bran improved sheep performance.

389 Effects of energy source on performance and carcass characteristics in hair lambs finished in feedlot

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different energy sources on performance, and carcass characteristics in hair lambs finished in feedlots. Twenty-eight hair lambs with an initial body weight (BW) 20.8 ± 3.01, were randomly assigned to one of four dietary treatments included with seven lambs per treatment. The dietary treatments included an energy source included at 18% Dry matter: S. spectabilis flour (SF), palm kernel (PK), corn bran (CB) and rice bran (RB) in a diet based in corn silage, ground corn, soybean meal formulated to 13.0% PC and 2.6 Mcal/Kg of DM. The feeding trial was performed for 13 weeks. Water was allowed ad libitum. Animals were slaughtered after the feeding trial, and the carcasses were kept at 4°C for 24 h under Colombian standard guidelines. Data were analyzed by using the ANOVA procedure, SAS version 9.1 to perform a randomized complete experiment with four diets. For each studied variable, the mean and standard error of the mean (SEM) were calculated and differences between means were evaluated Using Tukey′s Test (P ≤ 0.05). Final body weight, hot carcass weight, cold carcass weight, hot dressing carcass (%), and cold dressing weight (%) were not different between the four treatments (P &amp;gt; 0.05). Dry matter intake was superior to the S. spectabilis flour (P &amp;lt; 0,001). Feed efficiency was higher in the CB and RB treatments (P &amp;lt; 0,05). These results indicate that the inclusion of S. spectabilis and palm kernel could improve the dry matter intake and corn bran and rice bran the feed efficiency without effects on carcass characteristics

PSXII-17 Fiber content in diets for feedlot lambs: carcass characteristics

Abstract The objectives of this trial were to evaluate the effects of levels of fiber in high-grain diets on carcass characteristics of feedlot lambs. Fifty-eight Dorper x Santa Inês ram lambs (initial BW 20.7 ± 1.19 kg and 75 ± 10.83 d old) were assigned to a randomized complete block design. The treatments were defined by the fiber (“Coastcross” hay) content in the diets (CP: 16,12% ± 0.92): 0F: no forage diet (NDF: 10.4%); 5F: 5% of forage (NDF: 12.1%); 10F: 10% of forage (NDF: 15.0%); 15F: 15% of forage (NDF: 15.5%); 20F: 20% of forage (NDF: 20.8%) and 25F: 25% of forage (NDF: 23.5%). The experiment lasted 89 days, at the end of this time, the animals were slaughtered (169 ± 10.83 d old) to evaluate carcass characteristics. There was a quadratic response for slaughter BW (0F: 46.3; 5F: 48.1; 10F: 49.4; 15F: 50.3; 20F: 48.5; 25F: 43.3 kg; P &amp;lt; 0.01), hot carcass weight (0F: 24.8; 5F: 25.6; 10F: 26.0; 15F: 25.7; 20F: 24.3; 25F: 21.8 kg; P = 0.01), cold carcass weight (0F: 24.3; 5F: 25.1; 10F: 25.4; 15F: 25.1; 20F: 23.8; 25F: 21.2 kg; P = 0.01) and longissimus dorsis area (0F: 16.3; 5F: 16.5; 10F: 17.4; 15F: 16.5; 20F: 16.0; 25F: 15.1 cm2; P = 0.04). There was a linear decrease in the hot carcass yield (0F: 53.0; 5F: 53.3; 10F: 52.5; 15F: 50.9; 20F: 50.1; 25F: 50.2%; P &amp;lt; 0.01), cold carcass yield (0F: 52.0; 5F: 52.2; 10F: 51.4; 15F: 49.8; 20F: 49.0; 25F: 48.9%; P &amp;lt; 0.01) and body wall thickness (0F: 16.2; 5F: 17.0; 10F: 16.3; 15F: 16.3; 20F: 15.1; 25F: 13.6 kg; P = 0.01). There was no effect on subcutaneous fat thickness. In conclusion, the diet with up to 5% of forage allowed higher carcass yield; however, the heavier carcasses were produced by the lambs that received 10F diet.

PSX-29 Levels of hay and narasin inclusion on carcass characteristics and meat composition

Abstract The objective of this study was to determinate the effects of narasin on carcass characteristics of lambs fed a diet containing different levels. Forty-four lambs were allotted in a randomized complete block design, defined by initial body weight (BW), in a 2x2 factorial arrangement. The first factor was forage (coastcross hay) inclusion (10 or 20%, DM basis) and the second factor was narasin (0 or 13 ppm). The experimental diets were isonitrogenous (17.4%, DM basis). The experiment lasted 112 days. At the end of the experiment, the lambs were slaughtered to evaluate the carcass characteristics and meat composition. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS and the LSMEANS option was used to obtain the means. The effects were considered significant when P &amp;lt; 0.05. There was no interaction between forage levels and narasin inclusion. The experimental diets did not affect the slaughter BW (54.8 ± 1.6 kg), hot carcass weight (29.3 ± 0.96 kg), dressing percentage (53.5 ± 0.67%) and LM area (18.8 ± 0.89 cm2). The inclusion of narasin increased 12th-rib fat (2.10 vs 2.75 mm; P &amp;lt; 0.01) and BW thickness (16.9 vs 20.2 mm; P &amp;lt; 0.01). The inclusion of 20% of hay decreased BW thickness (19.21 vs 17.9 mm; P = 0.03). The experimental diets did not affect the moisture (74.2 ± 0.53%) and ash content in meat (1.27 ± 0.04%). Narasin inclusion increased the fat (2.81 vs 3.62%; P &amp;lt; 0.01) and decreased the CP (21.3 vs 20.7%; P = 0.02) in meat composition. The inclusion of 10% of hay increased the fat in meat (3.5 vs 2.9%; P = 0.03), however, did not affect the CP content. In conclusion, the narasin inclusion and levels of hay improve the carcass characteristics and change the meat composition.

A survey of lamb carcass characteristics in the Intermountain West during periods of seasonally constrained supply.

A survey of lamb carcass characteristics in the Intermountain West during periods of seasonally constrained supply.

Productive parameters of growing lambs fed an extruded ration with different roughage: concentrate ratios

Feed consumption has a great influence on the growth and performance of animals since the intake of dry matter supplies the quantity of nutrients that are necessary to meet the maintenance and production requirements of these animals. The objective of this study was to evaluate the dry matter intake, body growth, weight gain and carcass characteristics (by ultrasonography) of lambs fed an extruded ration at different roughage (R): concentrate (C) ratios. Thirty mixed race (Santa Inês x Dorper) lambs, aged 3 months and with an average weight of 20 kg, were used. The treatments consisted of an extruded ration in 30R:70C and 70R:30C ratios, completely randomised to 2 treatments and 15 replicates. The means of the variables were evaluated using a Tukey test and a regression at the 5% significance level. Dry matter intake (DMI), weight gain, body growth, evaluated through biometric measurements, and carcass characteristics, evaluated by ultrasonography, were assessed. There was a reduction of DMI in relation to body weight during the experimental period, with lower DMI amongst the animals in the 30R:70C treatment. There was a quadratic effect for the growth variables hindlimb height, forelimb height, body length, thoracic and barrel circumference over time, indicating that the animals presented adequate body growth, with intense development during the experimental period and stabilisation at the end of the experiment. There was no difference in the animals' weight gain, with an average daily gain of 182.79 g day-1. There was a difference in carcass characteristics throughout the evaluation period, with a larger loin eye area, body condition score and subcutaneous fat thickness at the end of the experimental period. The use of an extruded ration with a 30% roughage and 70% concentrate ratio promotes better feed efficiency in lambs, since it achieved the same weight gain and body development with lower dry matter intake.

Growth performance and carcass characteristics of finishing male lambs fed barberry pomace-containing diets

Barberry (Berberis vulgaris) fruits contain bioactive compounds with antimicrobial, antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects. The inclusion of barberry pomace (BP) in finishing diets could potentially enhance growth performance and carcass characteristics of sheep. To test this hypothesis, 21 male Balouchi lambs (24.5 ± 4 kg initial live weight; 5 ± 0.6 months of age) were randomly assigned to three BP-containing experimental diets to determine their effects on feed intake, live weight gain and carcass characteristics. The experimental diets were formulated to meet nutrient requirements for a targeted daily weight gain of 200 g as follows: (1) control diet (BP0), (2) control diet in which 7.5% of alfalfa hay and wheat straw were replaced with BP (BP75), (3) control diet in which 15% of alfalfa hay and wheat straw were replaced with BP (BP150). Lambs were fed the experimental diets for 75 days during which feed intake and live weight changes were recorded. At the end of the feeding period, lambs were fasted for 16 h, weighed and then slaughtered in order to determine carcass characteristics. Experimental diets had no effect on feed intake and growth performance of lambs. Similarly, diets had no effect (p > 0.05) on weight of carcass, commercial cuts (neck, shoulder, loin, leg, fat-tail, brisket, flank) and non-carcass components (head, skin, feet, lung and trachea, heart, liver, spleen, gastro-intestinal, kidney, bladder and testicles) but linearly increased (p < 0.05) warm and cold dressing percentage as well as heart weight. These results do not support the hypothesis that feeding BP-containing diets enhances growth performance and carcass characteristics of male Balouchi lambs. However, inclusion of BP had no negative effects on animal performance and carcass characteristics.