1West Assam Milk Producers’ Co-operative Union Ltd., Assam, India
2Department of Livestock Production and Management, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Assam Agricultural University, Assam, India
3Department of Livestock Products Technology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Assam Agricultural University, Assam, India
*Corresponding author: S K Laskar; E-mail: saurabhlaskar@gmail.com
Online Published on 14 July, 2023.
The study was conducted to investigate the effect of rearing systems, grazing, grazing with supplement and stall feeding with supplement on the carcass traits and mutton quality of the non-descript indigenous sheep of Assam. Eighteen weaner male lambs of similar and non-significant (P>0.05) body weight (5.38±0.26 kg) were divided in 3 groups (6 in each) in completely randomized block design (CRD) and reared for 112 days. T1 group was grazed, T2 group was grazed and fed concentrate supplement and T3 group was fed both green grass and concentrate supplement in the stall. At the end of rearing period, the lambs were slaughtered. The values for the different carcass traits of pre-slaughter weight (12.57±0.13 kg), slaughter weight (11.53± 0.12 kg), carcass weight (6.33± 0.06 kg), dressing percentage (50.36±0.26%), carcass length (52.30±0.29 cm), back fat thickness (1.56±0.06 mm), loin eye area (7.09±0.13 cm2), wholesale cuts (6.31±0.06 kg) and by products (5.11±0.06 kg) as well as for the proximate compositions of protein (19.57±0.06%), fat (6.31±0.08%) and total ash (1.01±0.00%) were higher (P<0.05) in the stall fed group. It was concluded that the stall fed lambs yielded more mutton with less moisture, higher protein, fat and total ash content in meat.
• Concentrate and green grass showed better carcass traits and mutton yield than the lambs with or without concentrate supplement.
• The nutritive value of the meat obtained from stall fed animals was also better than animals with grazing.
Sheep, Rearing system, Supplement, Carcass traits, Proximate composition
