Abstract:
A study was conducted to investigate the effect of kunan on growth
rate , feed intake , live body measurements , carcass characteristics and
meat quality of Sudanese desert sheep.Fourteen male lambs of Sudanese
desert sheep with average weight of 14.46 Kg and with average age of
about seven months were allotted randomly to two equal groups.
One group was kunanned and the other group was left without kunan . All
animals were offered a concentrate diet ( 10.97 % crude protein and
15.70 % metabolisable energy ) adlibitum .
Kunan increased the feed consumption , kunanned lambs had
significantly ( P<0.01 ) more feed intake than entire lambs .
Kunan had no significant ( P>0.05 ) effect on growth rate , feed
conversion ratio and slaughter weight . Live animal measurements were
almost the same for the two groups .
Body components expressed as percentages of empty body weight
showed no significant effects of kunan with the exception of lungs and
trachea and skin which were significantly(P<0.05)heavier for entire males
than kunanned lambs , while the latter had significantly (P<0.05) heavier
heart than the former .
The proportion of the various wholesale cuts expressed as percentages
of cold side weight were not significantly different between the two sex
l
groups .
Entire lambs had significantly (P<0.05) higher fat percentage , while
kunanned lambs had significantly ( P<0.01) higher bone percentage than
entire lambs .
Kunan affected the meat chemical composition, where fat percentage
was significantly ( P<0.01) increased in entire lambs while moisture and
protein percentages were not significantly different . There was a
tendency for kunanned lambs to exhibit higher percentages compared
with entire males . Entire lambs had significantly ( P < 0.01 ) lower
percentages in both sacroplasmic and myofibrillar proteins .
Water holding capacity was studied . Differences due to kunan were
observed among the two treatment groups . Kunanned lambs had
significantly (P<0.01) lower water holding capacity and had significantly
(P<0.01) higher pH value than entire lambs .
