Qualidade da carcaça e da carne de cordeiros (as) terminados em três sistemas

Abstract

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of finishing systems and sex on the carcass and meat quality of lambs Texel x Corriedale (male and female). The finishing systems used had been: lamb with the mother, kept in pasture (PAM); weaned lamb, kept in pasture (PA); weaned lamb, kept in pasture with supplementation with soybean hulls at 1% of body weight (PAS). Slaughter criterion was to the body condition score 2.0 – 3.0. The regional characteristics of the carcass and components had been influenced by the sex, whereas the termination system PAS promoted greater dressing percentage and length of the leg. The tissue composition was affected only by the sex, with the males presenting bigger muscle mass than the females. The allometric growth of shoulder of systems PAS and PAM and the leg of the PAM had been precocious (b<1), while the ribs of the systems PAS and PAM were late and the other components had a similar growth (b=1) to the carcass. For the females only shoulder of system PAM presented precocious growth, being isogonic for the other cuts. For the instrumental characteristics of shoulder, the initial temperature and the water holding capacity had presented greaters values for the females, had its precocity in the fat deposition. The chemical composition was influenced by the treatment, being that the animals with better nutricional level had presented higher percentages of crude protein. There was effect of interaction for initial pH and percentages of fat of the leg probably in function of the domination exerted by the males in the feeding, favoring the adipose tissue deposition. The evaluated systems of termination demonstrate that lambs, male and female, slaughtered with same body condition present similar quality of carcass, being that these effects do not exert influence on the main qualitative parameters of the meat. The growth is influenced by the system of termination and sex.