Effect of frame size on performance and carcass traits of Santa Inês lambs finished in a feedlot

The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance, qualitative, morphometric and quantitative carcass traits of Santa Inês lambs of different frame sizes finished in a feedlot. Twenty 120-day-old intact lambs with a 25.0±3.1 kg average body weight at the beginning of the experiment were us...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Edmilson Lúcio de Souza Júnior, Wandrick Hauss de Sousa, Edgard Cavalcanti Pimenta Filho, Severino Gonzaga Neto, Felipe Queiroga Cartaxo, Marcílio Fontes Cezar, Maria das Graças Gomes Cunha, José Morais Pereira Filho
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Zootecnia 2013-04-01
Series:Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia
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Online Access:http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-35982013000400008
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Summary:The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance, qualitative, morphometric and quantitative carcass traits of Santa Inês lambs of different frame sizes finished in a feedlot. Twenty 120-day-old intact lambs with a 25.0±3.1 kg average body weight at the beginning of the experiment were used. Lambs received a diet containing 17% crude protein and 2.70 Mcal/kg dry matter. Frame size influenced performance and tissue composition in the carcasses of the lambs. Lambs with large frame sizes showed better carcass conformation compared with those of medium-sized frames. Frame size was found to have a significant effect on rump perimeter. Large-framed lambs showed higher compactness on the carcass index and carcass dressing area compared with medium-framed lambs. The cuts of large-framed lambs weighed more than those of mediumframed lambs. However, no significant differences were found in dressing.
ISSN:1516-3598
1806-9290