Abstract

We evaluated carcass traits from twenty 6-month-old Santa Ines lambs under tropical grazing (Andropogon gayanus) receiving condensed tannin from Acacia mearnsii once a week for 13 weeks to control endoparasites. Ten animals were treated with tannin (TG) and the remainder (10 animals) received a diet without tannin (CG). At slaughter, the following measurements were taken: live weight, carcass weight, half-carcass weight, carcass length, fat cover, skin weight and thickness, weight of thoracic and abdominal organs, scrotum and commercial cuts. The 12^th rib was removed for determination of muscle, fat and bone percentages, as well as their chemical analysis. Skin thickness was greater and commercial cuts (loin and rib/belly) were lower in TG. Animals that received tannin had a lower percentage of ether extract and higher protein in the 12^th rib. Condensed tannin from Acacia mearnsii did not impair carcass trait quality but decreased ether extract and increased protein content.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.