Preliminary Results on Lambs Performances of Tsigai Breed Fed with Different Diets
Keywords:
diets, eye muscle area, lambs, Tsigai, ultrasonic measurementsAbstract
The present study was conducted to determine the effect of ram, sex and diet on growth performances of Tsigai
lambs – rusty variety from birth up to 5 months. The birth weight, weight at 28 days and weaning weight were
observed on 212 lambs coming from 10 rams’ groups. At 5 months age, the depth, eye muscle area of Longissimus
dorsi, muscle perimeter and the backfat thickness covering this muscle at the cross of sectional area between the 12th
and 13
th ribs, and between 3-4 lumbar vertebrae was determined using ultrasonic measurements from 80 lambs (40
male from two lots - L1 and L2 – 20 heads/lot and 40 female – L3) fed with different diets. At this time, the weights
of lambs at 5 months were also recorded. The overall men weight of lambs at 5 months was 42.23 kg at L1, 40.18 kg
at L2 and 34.58 kg at L3. The weight at 5 months was found to be significantly affected by sex. The diet had no
significant effect on growth performances of the lambs. The means for ultrasonic measurement was significantly
affected by sex. The variation observed between lots means were significant for eye muscle depth at 3-4 lumbar
vertebrae and for eye muscle area, but not significant for backfat thickness, and muscle perimeter. Regarding the
phenotypic correlations between ultrasound measurements with weight at 5 months, from a total of 45 traits couples
57.78% are small correlation (0.00-0.30), 20.00% are medium to high correlations (0.31-0.60) and high correlations
recorded 22.22 % (0.61-1.00). Important information on body composition of lambs can be obtained practically by
ultrasonic measurements on live animals. When combined in a breeding program with lamb market weights, these
measurements will provide a way to increase both meat yield and the quality of Tsigai lambs.
References
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations, 2021. Home page address:
http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QA
Taftă, V., Creşterea şi exploatarea intensivă a
ovinelor, 1983, Bucureşti, Ed Ceres
Ciolcă N, Timariu,S., Aptitudinile pentru producţia
de carne la rasele şi varietăţile de oi crescute în
România, 1972, Lucrari Stiintifice Institutul de
Cercetare Dezvoltare pentru Cresterea Ovinelor si
Caprinelor Palas Constanţa, 4, 177–184
Pop, A., Taftă, V., Lăbuşcă, I., Mochnacs, M,
Creşterea ovinelor şi caprinelor, 1976, Bucureşti, Ed
didactica pedagogica
Rău, V., Cercetări privind sporirea producţiei de
carne la ovine prin încrucişarea rasei Ţigaie cu rasa
Germană de carne cu capul negru, 1998, Teză de
doctorat, Cluj– Napoca
Ilişiu, E., Dărăban, S., Neacşu, M..G., Ilişiu, V. C.,
Rahmann, G., Improvement of lamb production in
Romania by crossbreeding of local Tsigai breed with
high performance breeds. Landbauforsch Applied
Agricultural and Forestry Research, 2010, 60(4), 259-
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations,Trade, 2021,
http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/TA
Gilmour, A.R., Luff, A.F., Fogarty N.M., Bariks,
R., Genetic parameters for ultrasound fat depth and
eye muscle measurements in live Poll Dorset sheep.
Australian Journal of Agricultural Research, 1994,
, 1281-1 291.
Gallivan, C., Hosford, S, Environmental effect on
weight, ultrasonic muscle depth and ultrasonic fat
depth in Alberta Suffolk lambs. In: Proceedings of the
Annual Meeting of Canadian Society of Animal
Science, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 1997, July 24-26
MLC, Sheep Yearbook, Meat and Livestock
Commission, Milton Keynes, UK., 1987, 49
Fernández C., Gallego, L., Quintanilla, A., Lamb
fat thickness and longissimus muscle area measured
by a computerized ultrasonic system, Small Ruminant
Research, 1997, 26, 277–282
Conington, J., Bishop, S.C., Waterhouse, A.,
Simm, G., A genetic analysis of early growth and ultrasonic measurements in hill sheep, Animal
Science,1995, 61, 85-93
Safari, E., Fogarty, N.M., Gilmour, A.R., A
review of genetic parameter estimates for wool,
growth, meat and reproduction traits in sheep,
Livestock Production Sciences, 2005, 92, 271-289
Lazar, C., Gras, M. Al., Pelmus, R.S., Rotar,
C.M., Ghita, E., Burlacu, R., Estimation of meat
amount by non-linear multiple regression equations
using in vivo and carcass measurements on
Teleorman Black Head lambs, Journal of Animal and
Feed Sciences, 2016, 25, 292–301
brahim, C., Orhan, K., Tufan, A., Ozdal, G.,
Murat, Y., Onur, Y, Ultrasounds measurements of eye
muscle properties and backfat thickness in Kivircik
lambs, Journal of Biology Science, 2007, 89–94.
