Comparative research on the fattening aptitudes of the growing lambs of local Romanian breeds

Abstract

Abstract:In Romania, suckling lamb meat is on demand during the Easter, but growing suckling lambs just for this purpose is not profitable. The paper performed a comparative study of the fattening aptitudes of the lambs from three local sheep breeds to produce carcasses demanded on the international market. The research was done on three groups (Carabash, Tsigai and Tsurcana breeds) of 16 weaned lambs each, with an initial weight between 21-27 kg and continued until the animals reached an weight of 35-38 kg. The experiment started after a period of accommodation to the experimental maintenance and feeding conditions. The animals were kept indoors under similar conditions of feeding and microclimate. The body weight of the animals was measured at the beginning and end of each fattening period, as well as the average daily gain and the total weight gain for each breed. During the late period of fattening, control weighing was performed until the target weight has been achieved. The Carabash lambs, which had the highest lambing weights of all the investigated breeds, proved to be the most precocious as weight gain. Over 44 fattening days they recorded an average daily gain of 0.258±0.016 kg, reaching a slaughtering weight of 38.46±1.178 kg with a feed conversion ratio of 4.66 FU. The Tsigai lambs, less precocious than the Carabash lambs, recorded an average daily gain of 0.191±0.043 kg, over 86 days 86, reaching a slaughtering weight of 37.16±0.130 kg, with a significantly higher feed conversion ratio, of 6.35 FU. The Tsurcana lambs, on the bottom position as fattening aptitudes, reached and average daily weight of 0.154±0.0142 kg over 91 days, reaching a slaughtering weight of 35.25±1.445 kg with a feed conversion ratio of 6.44FU.

Estimation of meat amount by non-linear multiple regression equations using in vivo and carcass measurements on Teleorman Black Head lambs

“…The observed body weight at birth and weaning was within the normal limits for TBH breed (Lazar et al, 2009;Ghita et al, 2010), 10.88% higher than the body weight at birth reported by Dewi et al (2002) for Welsh Mountain lambs. The TBH lambs were slaughtered 12 and 6 days earlier than reported by Dewi et al (2002) for Welsh Mountain lambs and by Peña et al (2005) for Segurena lambs, respectively.…”

Evaluation of Zackel Lamb Meat Quality with the Aim of Increasing the Conservation Value of the Breed

“…Lamb meat consumption in children with atopic dermatitis and multiple food hypersensitivity has resulted in signifi cant clinical improvements. Lamb meat has a special importance in infant nutrition, because it provides a unique [19][20][21][22]. These analyzes have shown that many factors in the production, such are diet, age of weaning, breed, sex and body weight, have effects on muscle fatty acid composition and sensory characteristics of lamb meat [15,23].…”