- Selcuk Journal of Agriculture and Food Sciences
- Vol: 16 Issue: 29
- The Effect of Diets With Different Levels of Energy on Fattening Performance and Carcass Characteris...
The Effect of Diets With Different Levels of Energy on Fattening Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Konya Merino Lambs and Muttons
Authors : Yılmaz Bahtiyarca, Ahmet Hamdi Aktaş, Yusuf Cufadar
Pages : 19-25
View : 9 | Download : 30
Publication Date : 2002-06-25
Article Type : Research Article
Abstract :Two trials were conducted to determine the effects of diets having different levels of energy on fattening perfor-mance and carcass traits of male Konya Merino lambs and muttons. In the first trial, 18 Konya Merino lambs at 2,5-3 months old an average body weight of 20 kg, and in the second trial 18 Konya Merino ram muttons, 8-9 months old and average body weight of 34 kg, were used. In both trials, animals were fed diets with izonitrogenic (crude protein levels for lamb and muttons were 15 % and 12.5 %, respectively) but, containing different levels of energy (2250, 2500 and 2700 kcal/kg ME as fed). All lambs and muttons assigned at random to individual indoor pen and individually weighted and fed. Six pens were assigned to every treatment. First and second trials lasted 84 and 56 days, respective-ly. In the first trial, increasing dietary energy level increased final live weight (wt), total and daily live weight gain, daily metabolizable energy intake, slaughter, hot and cold carcass wt, cold dressing percentage, omental wt, left side carcass wt, limb, point of the shoulder, neck, back-loin and chop wt (P<0.01-P<0.05), and but, feed conversion ratio and lean/fat ratio significantly decreased (P<0.01). Subcutaneous, intramuscular and total fat wt and proportions of them in the carcass, lean and bone wt, and back fat thickness were also significantly (P<0.01- P<0.05) improved by diets with 2500 and 2700 kcal/kg ME. Dietary energy levels did not significantly alter the other traits. In the trial 2, dietary energy levels did not significantly affect the performance traits (except feed/gain ratio for first period, P<0.05), and carcass piece wt and proportion of them in the carcass but, increasing dietary energy level generally improved weight gain and decreased feed/gain ratio. However, daily ME intake, subcutaneous, intramuscu-lar and total fat wt and proportion of them in the carcass and fat thickness were significantly increased (P<0.05 to P<0.01) by diets with 2500 and 2700 kcal/kg ME and but, decreased lean ratio and lean/fat ratio (P<0.05 to P<0.01). Other traits were not significantly affected by any of the dietary treatments.Keywords : Konya Merinosu, kuzu, toklu, enerji, besi performansı, karkas karakterleri