Published in Scientific Papers. Series D. Animal Science, Vol. LXIV, Issue 1
Written by Elena ILIȘIU, Cristian-Vasile ILIȘIU, Ion-Dumitru CHIRTEȘ, Vasile-Călin ILIȘIU, Aurel GĂLĂȚAN, Daniela-Rodica MARE
The present study was conducted to determine eye muscle (M. Longissimus dorsi) properties of lambs from two genotypes. The depth, eye muscle area and eye muscle perimeter of Longissimus dorsi and thickness of fat covering this muscle using ultrasonic scan was determined using ultrasonic measurements from 118 lambs taken from the two different genotypes - 80 heads from Tsigai - rusty variety (40 female and 40 male) and 38 heads (30 female and 8 male) from Suffolk (50%) x German Blackface (37.5%) x Tsigai (12.5%).The animals were fed with different diets. Birth weight was significantly (p<0.05) affected by breed and sex. Likewise, weaning weight and weight at 5 months was found to be significantly affected by sex and breed. Mean for ultrasound measurements of eye muscle properties were highly significant (p<0.001; p<0.01) for eye muscle depth at 12 rib, eye muscle area at 12 rib and 3-4 lumbar vertebrae, and for backfat thickness in the two points; significant differences (p<0.05) were found for eye muscle depth and area at 3-4 lumbar vertebra, but no significant differences were found for eye muscle perimeter (p>0.05). The lamb sex and breed was found to be significant variable for eye muscle area and the lamb diet for eye depth at 3-4 lumbar vertebrae. Regarding the phenotypic correlations between ultrasound measurements with weight at 5 months, from a total of 45 traits couples, 46.66% are small correlation (0.00-0.30), 26.67% are medium to high correlations (0.31- 0.60) and high correlations recorded 26.67% (0.61-1.00). Due to the lack of labor in agriculture, in the last years many sheep breeders do not want to milk the sheep, they prefer to let the lambs graze along with their mothers, so that the lambs are marketed at the age of 4-5 months. It is extremely difficult to take measurements on carcasses in these regions as lambs are mainly marketed or slaughtered as small groups or individually and abattoirs do not record any measurements on carcasses characteristics. In this situation, information on body composition of lambs can be obtained practically by ultrasonic measurements on live animals. When combined in a breeding program with lamb weight at 5 months or market weights, these measurements will provide a way to increase both meat yield and the quality of lambs.
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