Ganho de peso, características da carcaça e componentes não-carcaça de cordeiros da raça Texel terminados em diferentes sistemas alimentares Weight gain, carcass characteristics and non carcass components of lambs of breed Texel finished in different feeding systems

Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o efeito de diferentes sistemas alimentares sobre o ganho de peso, as características da carcaça e os componentes não-carcaça de cordeiros em fase de terminação. Foram utilizados 18 cordeiros, machos castrados, da raça Texel, distribuídos aleatoriamente nos seguintes tratamentos: T1 = confinamento; T2 = pastagem com suplementação e T3 = pastagem sem suplementação. Os animais confinados foram alimentados com uma dieta contendo feno de Tifton-85 e concentrado na proporção de 40:60 na matéria seca. A pastagem utilizada foi Tifton-85. Os animais suplementados receberam o mesmo alimento concentrado oferecido no confinamento na proporção de 2% do peso vivo. Aos 144 dias de idade, após jejum de 12 horas, realizaram-se os abates. Foram verificados menores peso final (PThe objective of this paper was to evaluate the effect of different feeding systems on the weight gain, characteristics of the carcass and non carcass components of lambs in termination phase. Eighteen lambs were used, castrated males, of the breed Texel, distributed randomly in the following treatments: T1 = confinement; T2 = pasture with supplementation and T3 = pasture without supplementation. The confined animals had been fed with a diet containing Tifton-85 hay and concentrated in the ratio of 40:60 in dry matter. The used pasture was Tifton-85. The supplemented animals received the same concentrated feed offered in the confinement in the ratio from 2% of live weight. To the 144 days of age, after fastening of 12 hours, the lambs were slaughtered. It was verified lesser final weight (P<0.05), daily weight gain, hot carcass weight, hot carcass yield, weight and proportion of rib and weights of hindquarter, shoulder and neck (P<0.01), in the lambs finished in the pasture, when compared with those confined or supplemented in condition of grazing. The proportions of hindquarter and shoulder had been bigger in the lambs finished in pasture without supplementation, in relation to the confined. A bigger proportion (P<0.01) of full viscera and gastrointestinal tract content in the lambs fed exclusively with pasture of Tifton-85 was verified. The lambs fed in confinement showed higher proportion of internal and renal fat and a lesser proportion of foot and empty viscera (P<0.01). The proportion of head was bigger (P