Performance of cross and purebred corridale lambs slaughtered at 5 month of age

3. Carcass characteristics

Abstract

The carcasses of 372 lambs, females and entire males, resulting from the crossbreeding ofCorriedale sheep with 21 rams ofthe Corriedale (C), Texel (TX), Hampshire Down (HD), Southdown (SD), lle de France (IF) and Milchschaf (MI) breeds, were evaluated in the following aspects: hot and cold carcass weight and tissue thickness in the GR point. Furthermore, the weight ofthe forequarter with 5 ribs short plate and the following boneless cuts and by-products ofthe hindquarter: leg with rump and shank, striploin, tenderloin, fat and bone was determined from the right half-carcass. Additionally, the valuable cuts, leg, striploin and tenderloin and the hindquarter proportion was estimated, as well as its composition: meat, fat and bone. The sire breed affected ali the analyzed variables (P≤0.10) excepting the GR, the striploin and the tenderloin. The effect of the ram nested within sire breed was significant (P≤0.10) for hot and cold carcass weight and for GR. These results suggest that it is posible to obtain heavier carcasses with a better composition than the purebred Corriedales using meat genotypes in terminal crossbreedings.