PERFORMANCE, CARCASS AND MEAT CHARACTERISTICS OF LAMBS IN FEEDLOT FED DIETS WITH INCREASING LEVELS OF FRESH ORANGE PULP REPLACING CORN

Abstract The objective of this research was to evaluate the performance, the quantitative and qualitative carcass and meat characteristics of finished lambs with different levels of fresh orange pulp replacing corn. Thirty-two whole males of Texel breed were used, with a mean initial weight of 16 ± 2.5 kg. The animals were distributed in a completely randomized design in four experimental treatments, with eight replicates each. The treatments were four levels of orange pulp (0, 33, 66 and 100%) replacing corn on dry matter. The animals were slaughtered when they reached 32.5 kg of live weight. Average daily weight gain (188 g per day), total weight gain (16 kg) and slaughter weight (32.5 kg) were similar among treatments. The loin eye area and subcutaneous fat thickness decreased linearly as a function of the orange pulp inclusion levels in the diet. The performance and carcass characteristics were not altered by the partial or total replacement of the corn with orange pulp. However, the total replacement of corn with orange pulp reduced loin eye area by 32% and subcutaneous fat thickness by 35%.