Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Carcasses of Churro Galego Bragançano purebred and Suffolk and Merino Precoce crossbred lambs reared under
three different conventional production system of northeast of Portugal were evaluated. Carcasses of male lambs had
larger muscle longissimus width (P < 0.05) and smaller subcutaneous fat thickness (P < 0.05) than the female lambs.
Carcasses of crossbred lambs had higher (P < 0.05) compactness indices and leg and shoulder proportion than Bragançano
purebred. Suffolk crossed had lower KKCF proportion (P < 0.05) than Bragançano and Merino crossbred
lambs. Male lambs had higher (P < 0.05) muscle proportion in almost all carcass joints than the female lambs. It was
concluded that Suffolk can be used as sire breed in Bragançano ewes to produce lambs with leaner and more compact
carcasses and better fat distribution, which allows slaughtering at higher slaughter weight, specially in more intensive
production systems. Female lambs should be slaughtered at lower carcass weight than male lambs in order to produce
carcasses with the same fattening degree.
Description
Keywords
Sheep Crossbreeding Tissue composition Production system Local breed
Citation
Teixeira, A.; Cadavez, Vasco; Delfa, R.; Bueno, M.S. (2004). Carcass conformation and joints composition of Churra Galega Bragançana and crossbred lambs by Suffolk and Merino Precoce sire breeds. Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research. ISSN 1695-971X. 2:2, p. 217-225
Publisher
INIA - Spanish National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology