Growth performance and carcass characteristics of Awassi, Morkaraman and Tushin lambs grazed on pasture and supplemented with concentrat

Abstract

Growth performance (n=T58) and carcass characteristics of 5 Awassi (A), 5 Morkaraman (M) and 4 Tushin (T) lambs weaned at 2.5 months of age were evaluated. The lambs were fed a concentrate mixture and allowed to graze for 70 days. At the end of the 70-day grazing period, M lambs showed the highest daily weight gain and the amount of concentrate consumed per body weight gain. The effects of breed and sex of lamb on daily weight gain on pasture were significant (P<0.05) and highly significant (PO.01), respectively. Male lambs were superior to female lambs with respect to daily weight gain. Slaughter traits and carcass characteristics of 14 male lambs representing three fat-tailed breeds were compared at the end of the grazing period of the year in which they were born. Hot carcass weight and hindshank weight of M lambs were heavier than those of A and T lambs. M had higher hot dressing percentage and larger M. longissimus dorsi (LD) area than those of A and T lambs. Most of the weights of wholesale cuts were significantly (P<0.05; PO.01) affected by breed. It is recommended that either A, M and T male and female lambs weaned at 2.5 months of age in eastern Turkey should be fed with 450 g concentrate per head per day on pasture for 3 to 3.5 months of grazing season, or lambs should be supplemented with more than 450 g concentrate feed on pasture because native fat-tailed breeds supplemented with 450 g concentrate on pasture did not give carcasses with an adequate commercial weight in the 70-day fattening period.

Effect of sesame cake supplementation on feed intake, body weight gain, feed conversion efficiency and carcass parameters in the ration of sheep fed on wheat bran and teff (<i>Eragrostis teff</i>) straw

“…Payne (1999) also reported that dressing percentage increases with increasing the proportions of concentrate in the ration. The dressing percentage on slaughter weight base and empty body weight base in this experiment was relatively small in all treatments than the results reported by Monaem et al (1988) for Moghani rams; Galal and Kassahun (1981) for Ethiopian highland sheep and Horro sheep; and Macit et al (2002) for Awasi, Morkaraman, and Tushin lambs. Dressing percentage describes the carcass merit condition as a proportion of carcass weight to body weight which helps to assess the meat proportion of the animal subjectively (Getahun, 2006 andDevendra andBurns, 1983) The dressing percentage of this study on the basis of slaughter body weight were 35.29%, 37.56%, 39.46%, 43.00% and 45.03 for T 1 , T 2 , T 3 , T 4 , and T 5 , respectively.…”

Growth Performance of Salt Range Lambs Fed Various Dietary Levels of Peanut Haulms in Pothwar Region of Pakistan

“…The sex of lamb had a highly significant (P<0.01) effect on daily average weight gain. Male lambs were heavier (P<0.01) than female lambs, and they also grew faster than females (Macit, 2001).…”