The influence of the length of fattening and gender of the lambs on the thickness of the subcutaneous fatty tissue

Abstract

In this research, three groups of 12 lambs (6 male and 6 female) of the Pirot improved race were examined. The first group of lambs was fattened for 60 days, the second 120 and the third 180 days. Nutrition of the lamb to rejection (40 days) is the mother's milk. After 40 days, it switched to pelleted concentrate (with 18% protein) and a quality hay, which was ad libidum as the concentrate. At the end of the fattening, the lamb is slaughtered by the usual technique. The objectives of this study were to determine the influence of the length of fattening and gender of the lambs on the thickness of the subcutaneous fatty tissue. Differences in fat in the subcutaneous tissue dorsally, medially and laterally at the intersection between the 12th and 13th vertebrae are significantly different (P<0.01) both in male and female lambs in all three groups. At the intersection of the lateral side between the 12th and 13th vertebrae there are significant differences (P<0.01) between the first and second and between the first and third groups in both genders. The subcutaneous fatty tissue in females compared to male lambs is thicker in all measured locations. However, significant differences were found in the thickness of breast tissue (P<0.05) and dorsal between the 12th and 13th vertebrae (P<0.01) for lambs of the second group. Female lambs of the third group also have thicker subcutaneous fatty tissue, dorsally and medially between the 12th and 13th vertebrae (P<0.05).