Características biométricas e qualidade da carcaça de cordeiros criados em dois sistemas alimentares.

Abstract

This study evaluated biometric measures and carcass quality of Corriedale lambs crosses in two feeding systems: a)- weaned animals grazing in cool season annual ryegrass pasture and b)-animals maintained together with their mothers in deferred native pasture. Approximately at three months of age animals were separated in two homogenous groups regarding weight , body condition and sex in order to be allocated to treatments. Growth and development of lambs were evaluated through weight, body condition, thoracic perimeter, compacity and body structure. At the end of the experiment, a sample of animals from each treatment was sacrificed to evaluate carcass characteristics (body and regional componentes), losses due to cooling and carcass yield tiself, besides commercial, slaughterhouse and farm yields. Data were submitted to analysis of variance and means compared by F-Test or by the non-parametric Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test (p<0.05), accordingly to the type of variable. Lambs with predominating Corriedale breed, raised with their mothers in deferred native pasture and those weaned and maintained in cool season annual ryegrass pasture, presented similar growth and devlopment. Finishing lambs together with their mothers in deferred native pasture may result in greater hot and cold carcasss weights, commercial and slaughterhouse yields and skin proportion, besides having longer carcasses with greater depth and proportion of leg.