Effects of Different Protein Sources on Fattening Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Merino Male Lambs Conducted to Intensive Fattening

The research was carried out with 60 heads early weaned Merino lambs alloted to 6 groups for 84 days. The lambs were fed adlibitum individually. Feed consumption and liveweight gain of the lambs were detennined for every 14 days periods.

Average initail weight, final weight, total liveweight gain, average daily liveweight gain, average daily feed consumption, feed consumption for one kg of liveweight gain, feed cost of 1 kg of liveweight gain of the group were 16.52, 16.65, 16.62, 16.60, 16.48, 16.63 kg.; 42.88, 40.65, 39.38, 39.41, 40.78, 38.58 kg.; 26.16, 24.00, 23.03, 23.59, 24.30, 22.22 kg.; 311.4, 285.7, 274.2, 280.9, 289.3, 264.6 kg.; 1086, 1136, 1084, 1045, 1121, 1053 g.; 3.47, 4.37, 4.30, 3.95, 3.98, 4.50 kg.; 2226, 2381, 2511, 2308, 2417, 2528 Tl respectively.

A verage daily feed consumption differennces between the groups 2 -5 and 4 -6 were statistically significant (P<0.01) Howewer the differences of the other characteristics were significant

Slaughterhouse weight, hot carcass weight, cold carcass weight dressin percentage and kidney and pelvis cavity fat weight of the groups were 43.00, 41.60, 39.30, 39.60, 41.45, 40.70 kg.; 21.68, 21.15, 20.40, 19.50, 21.25, 20.35 kg.; 21.25, 20.53, 20.07, 18.99, 20.75, 19.68 kg.; 49.40 %, 49.36 %, 51.16 %, 47.94 %, 49.96 %, 48.30 % and 0.39, 0.39, 0.42, 0.29, 0.42, 0.26 kg. respectively. Hot carcas weight differences between group 4 and groups 1 -5 (P<0.01), group 2 and 4. group 1 and groups 3 -6 (P<0.05) were statistically significant. Keywords :