The objective of this study was to evaluate muscle composition and physical-chemical characteristics of 20 intact and castrated crossbred Ideal male lambs exposed to either a short photoperiod (SP) of 12 h or to a long photoperiod (LP) of 18 h. Animals were randomly assigned to four treatments (T) in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement with five repetitions as follows: intact lambs exposed to a SP; castrated lambs exposed to a SP; intact lambs exposed to a LP or […]

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of sex and genotype (breed) on the composition and fatty acid profile of the semimembranosus (SM) muscle of feedlot sheep. Four Santa Inês (SI) males, four SI females, and four ½ Santa Inês x ½ Dorper (SI-D) males were used in this trial. Neither breed nor sex significantly affected the chemical composition of meat. However, the meat contents of phosphorus and calcium were both significantly changed by breed and sex. […]

Lambs born from Romney ewes and sired by Romney, East Friesian x (Finn x Texel), and Finn x Poll Dorset, under pasture grazing system, were evaluated for meat quality. Animals were slaughtered at two age groups (150 and 300 days), each group with 15 animals of each sire breed, in a total of 90 animals. The meat from Romney lambs was more tenderness than those from the other genotypes. The final pH in semimembranosus muscle of younger lambs was higher […]

The objective of this experiment was to study the carcass traits and their correlation with the tissue composition. Twenty-two intact male lambs, sired by Texel males, from crossbreed Texel -Ideal dams were used. At the beginning of the experiment (24 hours after birth), four lambs were slaughtered to serve as reference and a group of six lambs were slaughtered at weaning time and at 28 and 33 kg LW. The lambs were confined in individual stall with their respective mothers […]

ABSTRACT – This experiment was carried out to compare the objective and subjective measurements of carcasses from 18 Corriedale and 18 Ile de France x Corriedale lambs, slaughtered at 30 to 32 kg LW. The lambs were weaned at 60 days of age, with 10 to 12 kg LW, finished in feedlot, and were full fed a diet with 15,0% CP and 70,0% TDN. After post-slaughter manipulation and cooled for 24 hours at 4°C, the objective and subjective carcass evaluations […]

ABSTRACT – Sixty-nine lambs from the crossbreeding Corriedale or Polwarth ewes with Suffolk, Ile de France rams or from the same ewe breed were used to evaluate their performance and carcass characteristics. Lambs were maintained under grazing until weaning time (60 days), then were confined for 90 days and fed corn silage and concentrate based diet. A completely randomized design in a factorial arrangement was used. The use of meat type rams on fine wool ewes did not affect lamb […]

This work was carried out to evaluate the effect of the season of the year, from March/96 to March/97, on the rectal temperature (RT) and breathing rate (RR) of rams from Bergamacia, Corriedale and Hampshire Down (Hd) breeds, with three-four years of age. Twenty-four rams, nine Bergamacia (Be) eight Corriedale (Co) and seven Hampshire Down (Hd), were used. The month of the year had a significant effect on RT for Hd breed. The observed rectal temperatures was higher in the […]