title: Carcass characteristics and meat quality of lambs fed babassu cake (Orbignya speciosa) as a replacement for elephant grass silage.
abstract: The study aimed to evaluate the effect of the partial replacement of elephant grass silage with babassu cake (Orbignya speciosa) on the carcass characteristics and meat quality of feedlot lambs. Forty-five castrated male Santa Ines sheep (19.08 ± 0.41 kg) approximately 4 months old were distributed in a completely randomized design, with five treatments 0.0, 12.5, 25.0, 37.5 and 50 % (%DM) replacement of babassu cake with silage forming isoproteic diets formulated at a ratio of 40 % roughage to 60 % concentrate. All of the studied animals were slaughtered at the end of the experiment. The liver weights and yields increased with the inclusion of babassu cake. The weight of the shoulder increased from 2.31 to 2.61 kg, while the loin yield decreased from 7.38 to 6.64 % with the inclusion of babassu cake, both linearly. The body length, thoracic perimeter, rump perimeter and carcass compactness index showed high and positive correlations with the hot and cold carcass weights. The myofibrillar fragmentation index decreased linearly as a function of the inclusion level of babassu cake, but other quality variables were not affected. The replacement of up to 50 % of the elephant grass silage with babassu cake in the diet of lambs does not cause negative effects on carcass characteristics or meat quality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Federal Rural University of Amazônia, PA 275, Km 13, Parauapebas, Pará, 68515-000, Brazil. janaina.ufra@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Janaina Barros
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Luz
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Federal Rural University of Amazônia, PA 275, Km 13, Parauapebas, Pará, 68515-000, Brazil.
authors.forename: Kaliandra Souza
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Federal Rural University of Amazônia, PA 275, Km 13, Parauapebas, Pará, 68515-000, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mezzomo
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Federal Rural University of Amazônia, PA 275, Km 13, Parauapebas, Pará, 68515-000, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ernestina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ribeiro Dos Santos Neta
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Federal Rural University of Amazônia, PA 275, Km 13, Parauapebas, Pará, 68515-000, Brazil.
authors.forename: Daiany Íris
authors.initials: DÍ
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Federal Rural University of Amazônia, PA 275, Km 13, Parauapebas, Pará, 68515-000, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luis Rennan
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Sampaio Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Federal Rural University of Amazônia, PA 275, Km 13, Parauapebas, Pará, 68515-000, Brazil.
authors.forename: Josiane Costa
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Street Dom Manuel de Medeiros, Dois Irmãos, Recife, 52171-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Francisco Fernando
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Ramos de Carvalho
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis*; D000818:Animals; D028023:Arecaceae; D049628:Body Size; D031741:Cenchrus; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D019649:Food Industry; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D031782:Pennisetum; D006109:Poaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D000069466:Red Meat; D012756:Sheep; D034561:Sheep, Domestic; D012820:Silage / Q000032:analysis
keywords: By-product; Feedlot; Nutrition; Ruminant; Shearing