MEAT PRODUCTIVITY OF CROSSBRED LAMBS OF VARIOUS GENOTYPES
Authors: Mashner O. A. , Lyutskanov P. I. 
Published: May 2019

The article presents the results of studies of meat productivity of crossbred lambs ♀Tsigay х ♂Bentheimer of the first generation and ♀Karakul х ♂Avassi (82.5%) of the blood volume of the Awassi breed. At the first stage were studied, the fattening qualities (growth and development of crossbred lambs and sheep and the second stage meat productivity of lambs carcass output and meat content.

The studies were conducted on the first-generation of crossbred lambs and sheep, obtained from crossing ♀Tsigay х ♂Bentheimer, on the farm of Experimental-Technological Station “Maksimovka” and at crossbreeding ♀Karakul х ♂Avassi, with blood share of Avassi breed 82.5% obtained on the farm “Tsurcanu Andrei”. The cultivation of local lambs, of both genotypes, was carried out by the traditional method for the conditions of the republic – sharing with the uterus from birth to beating.

It is set the superiority of crossbred lambs ♀Karakul x ♂Avassi in comparison with peers ♀Tsigay х ♂Bentheimer by live weight at birth by 0.72 kg, (P ≤ 0.01), when beating by 6.88 kg, (P ≤ 0,01 ), and at statement on experience by 3.92 kg or 14.9%. Also, for the 62 days of the experimental period (fattening), the gross weight gain at hybrids ♀Karakul х ♂Avassi) was higher by 3.0 kg (17.4%). The same tendency is and at sheep for live weight at birth, at beating and at the beginning of the experiment by 0.8 kg (18.1%), 3.1 kg (14.6%), and the live weight at the end of the experiment and gross weight gain is higher at sheep of ♀Tsigay х ♂Bentheimer by 0.98 kg (3.9%) and 1.58 kg (4.2%) and 2.56 kg (23.0%).

In accordance with the gender, the gross weight gain of the lambs is higher in accordance to the sheep in both variants. Thus, at the ♀Karakul х ♂Avassi crossbreed, the gross weight at labms is higher by 9.14 kg and in the ♀Tsigay х ♂Bentheimer – by 13.68 kg.

Calculated physique indices indicate that lambs ♀Tsigay х ♂Bentheimer compared to their peers ♀Karakul х ♂Avassi stretchiness index is 5.55% more, transverse by 2.86%, massiveness by 11.0% and consistency by 3.62%, and the indices of the thoracic and bony, are lower by 0.88 and 1.77%, respectively. There are also a number of differences at sheep, but less in quantitative terms. At crossbred sheep of the ♀Tsigay х ♂Bentheimer genotype, the stretch index is by 3.14% more, transverse by 0.28%, massiveness by 3.68%, and breast indexes, crush index and bony index are less respectively by 5.89% (P ≤ 0.05), 0.32% and 0.21%.

According to meat qualities of crossbred sheep, at genotype ♀Tsigay х ♂Bentheimer compared to ♀Karakul х ♂Avassi crossbred, the indices are better. The mass of double carcass is by 3.4 kg more (17.1%), the mass of chilled carcass is 3.23 kg (17.3%), slaughter weight by 3.29 kg (17.3%), respectively, and the amount of meat in the half carcass is 0.796 kg more, and as a result, the coefficient of meatiness is higher by 0.46 units.

On the chemical composition of meat at lambs ♀Karakul х ♂Avassi and ♀Tsigay х ♂Bentheimer there is no significant difference in indicators. At the same time, it is noted a slightly higher content of fat and protein in meat (average sample) of cross-bred lambs of the ♀Karakul х ♂Avassi genotype in relation to the same indicators of ♀Tsigay х ♂Bentheimer hybrids.

The carcasses received from the lambs of both groups were measured and the corresponding indices were calculated.

The carcass indices characterizing the shape and reflecting their quality showed that the carcass index of the crossbred lambs of the ♀Tsigay х ♂Bentheimer genotype was significantly higher by 5.05% (P ≤ 0,001) in relation to the indicator obtained from the cross ♀Karakul х ♂Avassi. A similar trend was noted in the ham index (higher by 0.27), in carcass compactness by 7.84%, in ham development by 6.64%, in chest depth by 2.41% (P ≤ 0.05) and proportionality of ham by 0.4%. An exception is the carcass uniformity index, which at crossbred lambs ♀Tsigay х ♂Bentheimer is less by 0.356%.