Effect of Different Initial Live Weights on Fattening Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Anatolian Merino Male Lambs II. Slaughter and Carcass Characteristics

This study was carried out to determine optimum initial live weight for fattening by investigating the slaughter and carcass characteristics of 21 heads Anatolian Merino male lambs which were three months aged and divided into three groups (each group contained seven animals ). Initial live weight groups for fattening were constituted as 25, 30 and 35 kg and the fattening trial lasted for 63 days. In the end of the study, slaughtering live weights, warm and cold carcass weights of groups were 44.28 , 49.21 and 54.50 kg; 20.05, 22.50 and 25.28 kg; 19.64, 21.85 and 24.77 kg and the dressing percentage were found 44.36 ,44.39 and 45.45 % respectively. The differences between groups for slaughtering live weights, warm and cold carcass weights were statistically significant (p 0.01). By the cutlet sample analyses (between 6th and 12th ribs) lean, bone, subcutaneous fat, intramuscular fat, total (subcutaneous + intramuscular ) fat and worthless parts ratios were determined as 45.9, 49.8, and 45.8 % ; 22.8, 23.3 , and 23.3 % ; 14.5, 12.9 and 14.2 % ; 12.5, 10.3 and 12.6 % ; 27.0 , 23.2 and 26.8 %; 2.9 , 2.6 and 2.5 % respectively . The differences between groups in respect of carcass tissue composition were not statistically significant. As a result initial live weight differences between groups maintained for the whole fattening period and affected carcass characteristics except for carcass tissue composition. It is concluded that, the Anatolian Merino male lambs can be fattened until reaching approximately 55 kg live weight without excessive fat accumulation in carcass