Assessment of the carcass traits of lambs with ¾ of the Texel breed genotype

Abstract

Thirty six ¾ Texel (T) and 32 Ideal lambs were grown in feedlot for two months postweaning to evaluate final liveweight (FLW), relative average daily gain (ADGr) and various carcass characteristics, including: cold carcass weight (CCW), total lean weight (TLW), loin weight (LW), and total fat weight (TFW). Differences were found between males of the two genotypes in FW (P<.01) and TLW (P<.05); and between the females in TFW (P<.05). There were no differences between genotypes in ADGr. A multiple regression analysis relating FLW, as dependent variable, and the carcass variables as independent, showed that 73% of the variation in liveweight of the¾T animals was associated withLW and TLW. At conclusion of the confinement feeding, blood plasma samples from three lambs of each genotype/sex were analyzed for relative proportions of the mayor fatty acids and concentrations of total cholesterol and triglycerides. A negative relationship was found between the proportion of oleic acid and degree of fatness, expressed as (TFW/CCW) (100), whereas for linoleic acid the relationship was positive.