Effects of sex and year on growth and live assessment of carcass characteristics of lambs grazing annual pastures

1991 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 307 ◽  
Author(s):  
LP Thatcher ◽  
B Warren ◽  
PJ Nicholls
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Subcutaneous Fat ◽  
Carcass Characteristics ◽  
Carcass Weight ◽  
Condition Score ◽  
Second Year ◽  
Dressing Percentage ◽  
Fat Score ◽  
Clover Content

Lambs from the Poll Dorset x (Border Leicester x Merino) cross were raised from a late lambing in 1983 (a year when pastures grew unchecked and had high clover content) and 1984 (a year with intermittent dry periods and a low clover content in pastures). Multivariate repeated measures analyses were used to compare growth rates for rams, wethers and ewes within 2 periods of growth in 1983, and 4 in 1984. In all stages rams grew significantly faster than wethers and ewes, whereas wether growth rate exceeded that of ewes in only 3 stages. In general, when pasture availability and quality was high, rams grew faster than wethers by 0.3 kg/week and ewes by 0.5 kg/week. The rams grew 0.16 kg/week faster when pasture availability was limiting for a period in winter but lost significant (P<0.01) body condition, whilst ewes maintained both weight and condition. When good quality feed was again available, rams gained more weight than wethers, as did wethers compared with ewes, while rams and wethers gained more condition than ewes. Carcass weight and fatness, measured either as indicators of fat (GR measurement or fat score) or as total subcutaneous fat, could be predicted from assessments made on live lambs. Full liveweight, sex and year explained 41% of variation in GR, 48% in fat score and 79% in subcutaneous fat. Condition score, sex and year explained 45% of variation in GR, 52% in fat score and 57% in subcutaneous fat. Full liveweight, condition score, sex and year explained 80% of the variation in subcutaneous fat, 47% in GR and 57% in fat score. An interaction of sex with full liveweight in predicting carcass weight and subcutaneous fat indicated that as carcass size increased, the sex of the lamb became an increasingly important consideration when assessing characteristics important in describing lamb carcasses. Dressing percentage decreased by 0.08/kg as liveweight increased. This result was consistent over the 2 years, with opportunities for error being assessed and eliminated in the second year. Notwithstanding that this was an unimportant loss in real terms, published information showed an increase in dressing percentage with liveweight.

Growth and carcass characteristics of ram, cryptorchid and wether Border Leicester x Merino lambs: effects of increasing carcass weight.

1986 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 153 ◽  
Author(s):  
GJ Lee
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Carcass Characteristics ◽  
The Other ◽  
Carcass Weight ◽  
Consumer Acceptability ◽  
Cross Border ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Dressing Percentage ◽  
Fat Score ◽  
Score Distributions

The growth and carcass characteristics of first-cross Border Leicester x Merino ram, cryptorchid and wether lambs were compared over a range of slaughter weights (35-55 kg). Lambs were offered feed ad libitum after weaning. The growth rate of wether lambs (221 g/day) was less (P< 0.01) than that of rams and cryptorchids (308 and 280 g/day respectively, P = 0.076). The dressed carcasses of the wether lambs were approximately 2 percentage units heavier than those of the ram and cryptorchids, but this difference was partly due to the weight of the testes. Across all sex groups, dressing percentage increased by 0.46 percentage units per kg increase in carcass weight. The carcasses of rams and cryptorchid lambs tended to be leaner than those of wethers. Fat score distributions, based on export standards, were such that wethers scored higher (fatter) than rams and cryptorchids (P< 0.05). There was a significant sexx carcass weight interaction with GR tissue depths. Above 17 kg carcass weight, tissue depth of wether lambs was greater than those of the other sex types. Of 12 families assessing consumer acceptability (taste, smell, size, fatness and tenderness) of leg roasts, the majority showed no preference for any of the sexes.

The effect of nutrition and exercise in carcass parameters and the level of glycogen in skeletal muscle of Merino sheep

1996 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 525 ◽  
Author(s):  
DW Pethick ◽  
JB Rowe
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Exercise Training ◽  
Feed Intake ◽  
Subcutaneous Fat ◽  
Barley Grain ◽  
Carcass Weight ◽  
Regular Exercise ◽  
Carcass Parameters ◽  
Muscle Groups ◽  
Fat Score

This study investigated the effects in sheep of feed intake and exercise training on (i) the level of glycogen in muscle, and (ii) carcass quality traits including growth rate, carcass weight, fat score, and the ultimate pH of muscle. Merino wethers, 12-months-old and starting body weight 38 kg, were individually penned and housed indoors. The effects of nutrition and exercise were tested for 2 levels of activity (sedentary v. exercised) and 4 levels of feed intake (1, 1.3, 1.5, 2.2 x maintenance) with 8 sheep per group housed individually. Exercise training was for 1 h at 8-9 km/h (approx. 55-65 VO2max), 3 times per week from week 4 to 9 of the experiment. The diet was 20% cereal straw, 26% lupin grain, 53% barley grain, mineral and vitamin premix, and virginiamycin. Animals were slaughtered at an abattoir in week 10. Regular exercise reduced growth rate, carcass weight, and fat score, but did not affect intake. At the highest level of intake, carcass weight was reduced by 0.53 kg and fat depth over the 12th rib (GR fat depth) by 6.3 mm, suggesting that muscle yield was increased. At all sampling times, the level of glycogen in the m. semimembranosis (SM) and m. semitendinosis (ST) increased linearly with increasing feed intake. Regular exercise caused increased glycogen level in SM samples immediately post-slaughter and in the SM, ST, and m. longissimus dorsi (LD) 48 h post-slaughter. The ultimate pH of muscle was reduced as the level of feed intake increased for all muscle groups. Exercise caused a reduction in the ultimate pH of the ST with no change for the SM and LD. The results indicate that glycogen levels in muscle are highly responsive to nutrition and regular exercise. In addition, exercise caused a reduction in subcutaneous fat with no change in feed intake.

Influence of sex and year on carcass characteristics important in the marketing of second cross lambs

1990 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 171 ◽  
Author(s):  
LP Thatcher ◽  
JJL Maden ◽  
CL Plant
Keyword(s):  
Subcutaneous Fat ◽  
Carcass Characteristics ◽  
Carcass Weight ◽  
Major Influence ◽  
Longissimus Dorsi ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Commercially Important ◽  
Ram Lambs ◽  
Clover Content

The carcass characteristics important for the marketing of ewe, wether and ram lambs were examined for lambs grazing annual pastures in northeastern Victoria. The lambs were Poll Dorset x (Border Leicester x Merino). The lambs grew on abundant, high quality pastures after a spring lambing in 1983. The climate in 1984 was very dry and the lambs were born in autumn when pasture availability was low, and pasture clover content reduced. Apart from carcass weight and fat depth (GR) which are used in the AUS-MEAT lamb carcass description, it was found that sex also influenced the level of subcutaneous fat; and also the GR measurement and distribution of subcutaneous fat. Sex did not, however, affect primal joint size in a commercially important way. It was concluded that lamb sex should also be included to improve carcass description, and this would be more important as larger carcasses were used. The area of the M. longissimus dorsi at the 12th rib (EMA) was not affected by sex, but it was a significant (Pc0.01) inclusion with carcass weight in predicting hindleg muscle content. Year affected level and distribution of subcutaneous fat, EMA, and primal joint size even after GR and carcass weight were described. However, the major influence of year was not clear, because there were 2 times of lambing in 2 years when nutrition was vastly different.

Carcass characteristics of heavyweight crossbred lambs. II.* Carcass composition and partitioning of fat

1979 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 1207 ◽  
Author(s):  
JM Thompson ◽  
KD Atkins ◽  
AR Gilmour
Keyword(s):  
Connective Tissue ◽  
Subcutaneous Fat ◽  
Carcass Characteristics ◽  
Carcass Composition ◽  
Carcass Weight ◽  
Ewe Lambs ◽  
Intermuscular Fat

Half-carcasses of 108 wether and ewe lambs from six genotypes, slaughtered at 34, 44 and 54 kg liveweight, were dissected into subcutaneous fat, intermuscular fat, muscle, bone and connective tissue. The six genotypes were the progeny of Dorset Horn and Border Leicester rams mated to Merino, Corriedale and Border Leicester x Merino first-cross ewes. As carcass weight increased, the proportion of subcutaneous and intermuscular fat increased (b > 1 ; P < 0.05) and the proportion of muscle and bone decreased (b < 1; P < 0.05). Lambs sired by Border Leicester rams had more subcutaneous fat (12.7%), more intermuscular fat (7.6%) and more bone (5.7%) than lambs sired by Dorset Horn rams at the same carcass weight (P< 0.05). Similarly, lambs sired by Dorset Horn rams had more muscle (7.2%) than lambs sired by Border Leicester rams at the same carcass weight (P < 0.05). Breed of dam had no effect on carcass composition. Wether lambs had a greater proportion of bone (5.7%) than ewe lambs at the same carcass weight (P < 0.05). The breed of sire effect and the lack of a breed of dam effect on carcass composition, in conjunction with estimated mature weights for the breeds, suggest possible differences between sire and dam breeds in the partitioning of fat between the carcass and non-carcass depots. ____________________ *Part I, Aust. J. Agric. Res., 30: 1197 (1979).

Effects of the percentage of Texel or Rouge de ľOuest genes in lambs on carcass characteristics and meat quality

1999 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. F. Carson ◽  
B. W. Moss ◽  
R. W. J. Steen ◽  
D. J. Kilpatrick
Keyword(s):  
Meat Quality ◽  
Subcutaneous Fat ◽  
Carcass Characteristics ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Fat Content ◽  
Carcass Weight ◽  
Ewe Lambs ◽  
Bone Content ◽  
Intermuscular Fat ◽  
Ram Lambs

AbstractThis study investigated the effects of the percentage of Texel or Rouge de l’Ouest (Rouge) genes in lambs (0, 50, 75 or 100%; the remainder being Greyface (Border Leicester × Scottish Blackface)) on lamb carcass characteristics and meat quality. Ewe lambs were slaughtered at 34, 40, 46 and 52 kg and ram lambs were slaughtered at 40, 46, 52 and 58 kg live weight. Dressing proportion increased (P < 0·001) by 0·53 and 0·27 g carcass weight per kg live weight for each 1% increase in Texel or Rouge genes respectively. Carcass conformation classification increased (P < 0·001) by 0·016 and 0·007 units (on a five-point scale) for each 1% increase in Texel or Rouge genes respectively. Carcass fat depth measures were reduced by Texel and Rouge genes such that at a constant fat depth end point, carcass weight could be increased by 0·029 and 0·023 kg for each 1% increase in Texel or Rouge genes. Carcass lean content increased (P < 0·001) by 0·99 and 0·27 g/kg for each 1% increase in Texel or Rouge genes. Subcutaneous fat content was reduced (P < 0·001) by 0·36 and 0·29 g/kg for each 1% increase in Texel or Rouge genes. Intermuscular fat content was reduced (P < 0·01) by 0·38 g/kg per 1% increase in Texel genes, whereas Rouge genes had no effect. Similarly, bone content was reduced (P < 0·01) by Texel genes only (0·31 g/kg per 1% increase in Texel genes). Warner-Bratzler shear force values showed a quadratic effect with increasing Texel and Rouge genes, with an initial decrease from 0 to 50% followed by an increase to 100%. Cooking loss increased (P = 0·05) as the percentage of Rouge genes in lambs increased. Increasing the percentage of Texel or Rouge genes significantly increased L* values (P < 0·01 and P < 0·05 respectively), b* values (P = 0·05 and P< 0·05 respectively) and H° values (P < 0·001).

scholarly journals Performance and carcass characteristics of lambs ½ Dorper + ½ Santa Inês, slaughtered with different thicknesses of subcutaneous fat

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Urias Fagner Santos Nascimento ◽  
Gladston Rafael de Arruda Santos ◽  
Camilo Santos Azevedo ◽  
Francisco de Assis Fonseca Macedo ◽  
Telisson Ribeiro Gonçalves ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition Score ◽  
Subcutaneous Fat ◽  
Carcass Characteristics ◽  
Final Body Weight ◽  
Total Weight Gain ◽  
Condition Score ◽  
Subcutaneous Fat Thickness ◽  
Fat Thickness ◽  
Santa Inês ◽  
Compactness Index

SUMMARY The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of subcutaneous fat thickness (SFT) on slaughter in lambs ½ Dorper + ½ Santa Inês (DSI) on performance, carcass characteristics and commercial cuts. It was used twenty-four lambs, slaughtered with 2mm, 3mm and 4mm SFT. There was an effect of SFT on performance: for days of confinement (2mm = 51.38, 3mm = 66.50, 4mm = 91.63 days), age at slaughter (2mm = 139.38, 3mm = 159.88, 4mm = 171.00 days), final body weight (2mm = 33.50, 3mm = 42.81, 4mm = 46.19 kg), total weight gain (2mm = 18.75, 3mm = 25.08, 4mm = (2mm = 0.44, 3mm = 0.39, 4mm = 0.28kg), slaughter weight (2mm = 32.76, 3mm = 39.79, 4mm = 44.88 kg), body condition score (2mm = 2.97, 3mm = 3.13, 4mm = 3.56); for carcass characteristics: warm carcass weight (2mm = 15.33, 3mm = 19.16, 4mm = 21.90 kg) and cold (2mm = 15.03, 3mm = 18.75, 4mm = 21.47), cooling losses (2mm = 0.00234; 3mm = 0.00333; 4mm = 0.00201 kg), carcass yields: in the refrigerator (2mm=46,79; 3mm=48,30; 4mm=48,79%); commercial (2mm = 45.88, 3mm = 47.25, 4mm = 47.82%) and true (2mm = 52.93, 3mm = 54.51, 4mm = 55.67%); carcass compactness index (2mm= 0,250; 3mm=0,30; 4mm=0,33 kg/cm) for cut weights; neck (2mm=0,44; 3mm=0,55; 4mm=0,56 kg); palette (2mm=1,38; 3mm=1,61; 4mm=2,14 kg), flank steak (2mm=2,16; 3mm=2,73; 4mm=3,19 kg), loin (2mm=0,93; 3mm=1,14; 4mm=1,25 kg), and leg (2mm=2,68; 3mm=3,20, 4mm=3,76 kg). For the tissue composition of only the muscular cuts of the neck (2mm = 50.24, 3mm = 51.44, 4mm = 55.34%), bone of the neck (2mm = 30.24, 3mm = 29.63, 4mm = 25.91%), of the loin (2mm=15,05; 3mm=24,63; 4mm=24,71%) and the leg (2mm=11,38; 3mm=13,33; 4mm=13,13%), they presented differences between the SFT (p> 0.05). It is recommended to slaughter lambs ½ Dorper + ½ Santa Inês with 3mm of SFT.

Dietary choice and grazing behaviour of sheep on spatially arranged pasture systems. 2. Wether lamb growth and carcass weight at slaughter

2017 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
pp. 710
Author(s):  
M. C. Raeside ◽  
M. Robertson ◽  
Z. N. Nie ◽  
D. L. Partington ◽  
J. L. Jacobs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Plantago Lanceolata ◽  
Carcass Characteristics ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Carcass Weight ◽  
Eye Muscle ◽  
Internal Parasite ◽  
Dietary Choice ◽  
Condition Score

Dry matter production and nutritive characteristics of the pasture feedbase during autumn are key drivers of profitability in Australia’s prime lamb systems. An experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that offering lambs dietary choice through spatially separated combinations of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.) and/or lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) improves the post-weaning liveweight gain, condition score (CS), pre- and post-slaughter carcass characteristics and reduces the internal parasite burdens of wether lambs finished to a slaughter weight over autumn, relative to lambs offered no dietary choice. The experiment tested seven treatments, replicated four times in a randomised complete block design with plot sizes of 1 ± 0.1 ha. The treatments were: 100% perennial ryegrass (PR), 100% plantain (PL), 100% lucerne (LU), 50 : 50 perennial ryegrass/plantain (PR + PL), 50 : 50 perennial ryegrass/lucerne (PR + LU), 50 : 50 plantain/lucerne (PL + LU) and 33 : 33 : 33 perennial ryegrass/plantain/lucerne (PR + PL + LU). Plots were grazed by weaned lambs between March and June 2011. The lambs had been born between 3 August and 7 September 2010 and were derived from either Coopworth composite dams joined to Coopworth maternal sires or from Merino dams (Toland or Centreplus bloodlines) joined to Border Leicester sires. Backgrounding the lambs on a pasture system that contained lucerne during the lactation to weaning period increased (P < 0.05) liveweight at slaughter by 8% and hot carcass weight by 10%, relative to lambs backgrounded on perennial ryegrass. Finishing lambs on the LU treatment between weaning and slaughter increased (P < 0.05) liveweight at slaughter by 11%, CS at slaughter by 0.3 units, hot carcass weight by 16%, carcass CFAT (measured over the loin) by 2.5 mm, carcass eye muscle depth by 1.1 mm and carcass GRFAT (total tissue depth at 11/12th rib, 11 cm from mid line) by 3.8 mm, relative to lambs finished on the PR treatment. Finishing lambs on LU + PR, LU + PL or LU + PR + PL did not (P > 0.05) improve any of the measured parameters, relative to finishing lambs on the LU treatment. The PL and PR treatments did not differ (P > 0.05) in liveweight at slaughter, CS at slaughter or carcass characteristics, but the PL treatment had lower (P < 0.05) liveweight gain than the PR treatment during the first 2 weeks of the experiment (39 g/day vs 330 g/day), which was later partially compensated for. Our hypothesis has not been supported given that the use of spatially arranged mixes resulted in no improvement in liveweight gain, CS, carcass characteristics or internal parasite burdens relative to the comparable single species sward.

Sire and growth path effects on sheep meat production. 1. Growth and carcass characteristics

2007 ◽  
Vol 47 (10) ◽  
pp. 1208 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. L. Hopkins ◽  
D. F. Stanley ◽  
L. C. Martin ◽  
E. N. Ponnampalam ◽  
R. van de Ven
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Treatment Group ◽  
Subcutaneous Fat ◽  
Carcass Characteristics ◽  
Gluteus Medius ◽  
Feed Restriction ◽  
Meat Production ◽  
Fat Percentage ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Unit Increase

The growth and carcass characteristics of 627 crossbred lamb progeny from 20 Poll Dorset sires was studied. The sires were selected on the basis of Australian sheep breeding values (ASBVs) for postweaning growth (PWWT), depth of loin muscle (PEMD) and depth of subcutaneous fat (PFAT). Lambs were weaned either at 20- or 30-kg liveweight and then within each of these groups were maintained at their weaning weight for 55 days or fully fed, giving four treatment groups. Restricted lambs were realimented subsequent to the period of feed restriction and all lambs within each treatment group were slaughtered when their mean liveweight reached 45 kg. After adjusting for the weaning group and weaning age, liveweight at weaning depended on birthweight, rearing type and sex. For the late-weaning group, it also depended on whether the lamb was born as a single or a multiple and on sire ASBVs for PWWT and PEMD. This was such that liveweight increased by 0.14 ± 0.05 kg for each unit increase in sire ASBV for PWWT and decreased by 0.55 ± 0.20 kg for a unit increase in sire ASBV for PEMD. During the period of feed restriction, sire ASBV for PWWT had an effect on the growth rate of lambs in all treatments with a coefficient of 1.67 ± 0.52. Lamb growth rate during the realimentation phase increased with increasing ASBVs for PWWT at a rate estimated as 2.21 ± 0.49 g/day for each unit increase in PWWT. Early-weaned (20 kg), restricted lambs grew on average 26.0 ± 3.4 g/day faster during the refeeding period than the early-weaned, fully fed lambs, and for late-weaned lambs (30 kg) the difference was 35.5 ± 5.4 g/day. Lambs subjected to a restricted intake of pasture produced carcasses 0.79 ± 0.32 mm fatter on average than those fully fed as measured at the GR site (110 mm from the midline over the 12th rib). As the sire PFAT ASBV increased, the carcasses of the progeny were fatter at the GR site, fat C site (over the longissimus muscle at the 12th rib), the rump site (30-mm distal to the lumbar–sacral junction over the gluteus medius muscle) and in terms of carcass fat percentage. As the sire PEMD ASBV increased, progeny carcasses had larger loin muscle cross sectional areas, and as the sire PFAT ASBV increased, there was a decrease in loin cross sectional area. There was no impact of treatment group on lean percentage. As the sire PFAT ASBV increased, the carcasses contained less lean and as PEMD ASBV increased, the carcasses contained more lean equating to a potential 2% increase given the range of ASBVs in the experiment, which represents ~0.4 kg lean on average.

scholarly journals Sire breed effect on carcass and temperament traits

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 2717
Author(s):  
Leandro Lunardini Cardoso ◽  
Joal José Brazzale Leal ◽  
Marcelo Henrique Giordano Nunes ◽  
Bruno Borges Machado Teixeira ◽  
Bruna Pena Sollero ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Subcutaneous Fat ◽  
Carcass Weight ◽  
Longissimus Muscle ◽  
Muscle Area ◽  
Slaughter Weight ◽  
Subcutaneous Fat Thickness ◽  
Fat Thickness ◽  
Dressing Percentage ◽  
Productive Traits ◽  
Sire Breed

This paper aimed to identify and evaluate the effects of sire breed on temperament and productive traits of different cross-breeds between Nellore (NE), Tabapua (TB), and Brahman (BR) bulls mated with Angus cows (AN), as well as the relationship between temperament and productive traits. The productive traits measured in this study include slaughter weight and post weaning weight gain. Temperament was assessed by flight-speed (FS). Carcass data collected in this study include hot carcass weight, hot carcass percentage, cold dressing percentage, carcass length, initial pH, ultimate pH, subcutaneous fat thickness and carcass longissimus muscle area. The sire breed effect was greater for slaughter weight. Hot carcass weight was not affected by the sire breed. The longissimus muscle area was larger for AN x TB and AN x NE crossbreeds than for AN x BR crossbreeds. Subcutaneous fat thickness and cold dressing percentage were not affected by sire breed. The offspring of NE, TB, and BR sires mated with AN cows had similar carcass measurements, except for the longissimus muscle area, which was smaller for offspring sired by the Brahman breed. The temperament trait was not influenced by sire breed.

scholarly journals Effect of breed type and ionophore supplementation on growth and carcass characteristic in feedlot hair lambs

2010 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 633-637 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaime Salinas-Chavira ◽  
Alfredo Lara-Juarez ◽  
Abraham Gil-González ◽  
Jorge Jimenez-Castro ◽  
Ramón Garcia-Castillo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Average Daily Gain ◽  
Subcutaneous Fat ◽  
Carcass Characteristics ◽  
Dry Matter Intake ◽  
Longissimus Dorsi ◽  
Feeding Trial ◽  
Breed Type ◽  
Daily Gain

The effects of supplementing feedlot diets with ionophores and breed type were assessed on growth rate and carcass characteristics in hair lambs. Twenty four intact males, 12 Pelibuey × Dorper (PDo) and 12 Pelibuey × Damara (PDa) lambs, 17.9 ± 3.7 kg initial weight, were housed in individual pens for a 60-d feeding trial. The lambs were assigned randomly into four diets: control without additives (C); 25 µg/g monensin (M); 28 µg/g salinomycin (S); 28 µg/g S for 20 d, and 25 µg/g M for the next 40 d (SM). Each diet was supplied to six lambs. Data were analyzed as a randomized complete block design in a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement, with four diets and two breed types of hair lambs (PDo and PDa). All diets were formulated to contain 14% CP and 2.6 Mcal ME/kg dry matter. At the end of the feeding trial carcass images were recorded in the last intercostal space (12th and 13th ribs) using ultrasound equipment to measure the Longissimus dorsi muscle area and subcutaneous fat (SF). The average daily gain (ADG), daily dry matter intake, feed:gain ratio, subcutaneous fat and Longissimus dorsi area were not affected by ionophore supplementation.. The Pelibuey × Dorper group tended to show better average daily gain than Pelibuey × Damara (262 g/d and 235 g/d, respectively). Daily dry matter intake, feed:gain ratio and subcutaneous fat were not affected by breed type. The Pelibuey × Dorper lambs had greater Longissimus dorsi area (16.74 cm²) than the Pelibuey × Damara (14.29 cm²) lambs. The growth rate was not influenced by the inclusion of ionophores. Pelibuey × Dorper lambs showed better average daily gain and carcass characteristics than Pelibuey × Damara lambs.

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