O estado nutricional da carne, depende além da alimentação, da genética, sexo e idade do animal. Os diferentes tecidos que compõem a carcaça dos animais apresentam diferentes velocidades de crescimento, sendo o tecido ósseo mais precoce, o muscular com crescimento intermediário e a gordura depositada mais tardiamente. Há muitos estudos sobre as características relacionadas com a qualidade de carcaça, porém são poucos os que abordam a qualidade da carne e os fatores que influenciam no produto final. Para isso, é preciso definir o momento ideal de abate, visando obter a carne com as melhores proporções de músculo e gordura. A definição do momento de abate é feita através de alguns critérios, podendo ser desde a idade, peso corporal, estágio de maturidade até a condição corporal. Com isso, objetivo desse estudo foi realizar uma revisão de literatura sobre o crescimento e desenvolvimento animal e os critérios utilizados para definir o momento de abate de ovinos. Os critérios utilizados são a morfologia e conformação, a época, idade, peso corporal, o sexo, o estágio de maturidade tecidual e química e a condição corporal. Entender o crescimento e o desenvolvimento animal é de suma importância para uma produção eficiente, pois identificando como ocorre o crescimento dos tecidos da carcaça podemos determinar o momento mais adequado para abater cada grupo de animais, obtendo uma padronização e maior qualidade dos produtos. Diante do exposto, estabelecer critérios para definir o momento adequado de abate em ovinos é importante para que esses animais apresentem nesse momento uma adequada relação músculo:gordura na carcaça bem como uma eficiência alimentar que não venha a comprometer o desempenho produtivo e econômico da atividade. Animais mais jovens apresentam uma quantidade maior de músculo e menos gordura do que animais mais maduros. Para obtermos melhor eficiência na produção, devemos associar dois ou mais critérios, como por exemplo a idade e a condição corporal, assim podemos definir se o animal está pronto para o abate.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of including wet brewery waste (WBW) as the exclusive dietary roughage source on the characteristics of carcass and non-carcass components of feedlot-finished lambs. Thirty-two non-castrated male lambs weaned at 50 days of age, resulting from the cross between the Texel and Ile de France breeds, were used. The diet was constituted by roughage (WBW) and a concentrate composed of crushed maize, soybean meal, limestone and common salt. Treatments consisted of four levels of WBW as the roughage source in the diet (% dry matter), namely, 31, 44, 57 and 70%. Lambs were slaughtered upon reaching 34 kg live weight. The treatments resulted in a linear decrease in hot and cold carcass weights and yields, carcass compactness index, conformation, degree of fatness and rib-eye area. Among the primal cuts, the absolute weights of pallet, ribs and legs decreased as the WBW level was increased. As to the non-carcass components, only the total gastrointestinal content increased linearly with WBW. The increasing levels of WBW led to greater fasting losses and reduced carcass weights and yields. There was also a reduction in the degree of fatness, carcass compactness, carcass conformation index and rib-eye area Wet brewery waste at the concentration of 31% as the roughage source in the diet of finishing lambs in the feedlot provides better carcass traits.

An experiment was conducted in the Sheep Farming Laboratory at the Federal University of Santa Maria to examine the effect of different levels of replacement of sorghum silage with soybean pre-cleaning by-product (SPCB) on nutrient intake, performance and feeding behavior; as well as to undertake an economic analysis of feeding finishing lambs in a feedlot system. The study involved 32 uncastrated Texel × Ile de France crossbred male lambs weaned at 60 days of age. Treatments consisted of diets in which the roughage source (sorghum silage) was replaced with SPCB at the levels of 0, 33.5, 66.5 or 100% (DM basis). A 45:55 roughage:concentrate ratio was used (DM basis). The diets were composed of a roughage feed based on sorghum silage and/or SPCB, and a concentrate consisting of crushed maize, soybean meal and limestone. In addition, mineral salt was freely available to the animals. The lambs were slaughtered upon reaching the pre-established live weight of 35 kg. Intake on a DM basis showed a quadratic response (P ≤ 0.05) in all forms it was evaluated and expressed, except for the NDF fraction, which increased linearly (P ≤ 0.05) with SPCB inclusion. Average daily weight gain was not significantly influenced (P > 0.05) by the different SPCB levels, averaging 292 g/day. As regards the feeding behavior characteristics evaluated, the number of daily feeding bouts increased linearly (P ≤ 0.01) with the SPCB content of the diets. Total feed cost decreased linearly (P ≤ 0.01), whereas the profit per kilogram of gain and profit obtained per day in the feedlot period increased linearly (P ≤ 0.01) with SPCB inclusion. The use of soybean pre-cleaning by-product as the roughage source in the finishing of feedlot lambs proved to be a viable alternative in both the productive and economic terms.