Fattening Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Akkaraman and Asaf X Akkaraman F1 Crossbred Lambs

Abstract

The objective of study was to determine the fattening performance and carcass characteristics of Akkaraman and Assaf x Akkaraman (ASF x AK) F-1 crossbred male lambs obtained by crossing Assaf rams with Akkaraman ewes under breeding conditions. While the initial live weights of Akkaraman and (ASF x AK) F-1 crossbred lambs were 23.89 kg and 23.77 kg, their final live weights were 41.02 kg and 44.03 kg (p<0.01), respectively. In 70 days of intensive fattening, purebred and crossbred lambs gained 17.14 kg and 20.26 kg total live weight, respectively. The feed intake of both groups for 1 kg live weight gain was 4.70 kg and 4.15 kg, respectively. Crossbred F-1 lambs had significantly greater withers height (p<0.01) and body length (p<0.01) than Akkaraman lambs at all stages of fattening. At finishing, (ASF x AK) F-1 lambs had the highest body length, larger chest, and leg circumferences than Akkaraman lambs. Among the slaughter and carcass characteristics of Akkaraman and (ASF x AK) F-1 lambs, slaughter weight, cold carcass weight, untailed cold carcass weight, left half carcass weight, dressing percentage and the area of Musculus longissimus dorsi were determined to be 39.22 kg and 44.34 kg (p<0.05), 19.60 kg and 21.40 kg (p<0.05), 15.86 kg and 19.22 kg (p<0.01), 7.20 kg and 9.41 kg (p<0.001), 50.04% and 48.28%, 12.49 cm(2) and 14.24 cm(2), respectively. Crossbred F-1 lambs had statistically significantly higher values for head, foot, skin, testes and kidney+pelvic fat weights than pure lambs. The tail weights of purebred and crossbred F-1 lambs were determined to be 3.74 and 2.18 kg, respectively (p<0.001). The crossbred F-1 lambs were found to have a higher leg weight (3.48 kg vs. 2.92 kg, p<0.01), forearm weight (1.80 kg vs. 1.44 kg, p<0.01), and flank-chest weight (1.39 kg vs. 0.92 kg, p<0.01) compared to Akkaraman lambs. As a result, (ASF x AK) F-1 crossbred lambs were found to have better fattening performance, slaughter and carcass characteristics than Akkaraman lambs.