Carcass characteristics of Santa Inês lambs finished on native pasture and subjected to different types of supplementation

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the biometric measurements and characteristics of the carcass and retail cuts of 24 Santa Inês whole lambs finished in native pasture with different supplements. The animals were divided into four experimental diets: 200 g/day of a protein-energy supplement plus sodium chloride; 200 g/day of the protein-energy-mineral supplement; 300 g/day of the protein-energy-mineral supplement and 300 g/day of the protein-energy-min supplement without manganese. A complete randomized experimental design with four treatments and six replications was used.

The supplements did not influence the biometric measurements, body score, slaughter weight, loss by cooling, weight of the half carcass, hot carcass yield, cold carcass yield or the biological yield and weight of retail cuts from the Santa Inês lambs. The weights of hot and cold carcass, empty body, gastrointestinal-tract contents and leg of the lambs that received 300 g/day of supplement without manganese were higher than those of lambs that received 200 g/day of supplement. The energetic protein-mineral supplementation systems evaluated were effective in obtaining quality carcasses under finishing recommendations of Santa Inês sheep on native pasture with an initial weight of approximately 19.9 kg and slaughtered at 200 days old.