The carcass tissue composition and its cuts, and bone, muscle and fat allometric growth of texel lambs

Abstract

45 lambs, non-castrated male (22) and females (23) of Texel breed slaughtered in the beginning of the birth, at 25 (PI) and 33kg (P2) of live body weight were studied with the objective of evaluating the proportions and bone, muscle and fat relative growth of the carcass. The animals were randomly distributed in delineation, 24 hours after birth, with a factorial arrangement of 3:2:2 (3 feeding methods, 2 sexes and 2 weight of slaughter) and confined into collective boxes in a cemented floor stable. The feeding methods determined difference (P < 0,05) regarding the proportions of muscle and carcass fat. The sex influenced the male (19,43%) and female (18,09%) (P < 0,05) bone composition. Among the slaughter weight only the muscle and fat proportions differed (P < 0,05), P1=63,2%, P2=59,28% and 22,10%, respectively. It is observed that the bone has premature growth, the muscle is isometric and the fat is late. The differences (P < 0,05) occurred to muscle and shoulder blade fat proportions among slaughter weight, considering that to muscle the results were 63,55% (25kg) and 58,76% (33kg), and to fat were 16,53% (25kg) and 20,21% (33kg). The biggest (P < 0,05) fat deposition in leg occurred in big slaughter weight. However, there were not significant differences concerning feeding methods and sexes (P < 0,05).