Fattening Performance, Slaughtering and Carcass Traits of Pırlak, Central Anatolian Merino and Central Anatolian Merino x Pırlak F1 Lambs Pırlak , Orta Anadolu Merinosu ve Orta Anadolu Merinosu X Pırlak F 1 Melezi Kuzularda Besi Performansı , Kesim ve Kar

This study was carried out to determine some fattening, slaughtering and carcass characteristics of Pırlak, Central Anatolian Merino, Central Anatolian Merino x Pırlak F1 lambs. Ten Pırlak, 10 Central Anatolian Merino and 10 F1 lambs kept at Afyon Kocatepe University Animal Research and Application Centre were used. The fattening period was 56 days. One F1 lamb was excluded from the experiment due to health problems. The means in Pırlak, Central Anatolian Merino and F1 lambs were 248.04±10.69, 289.82±10.70 and 278.31±11.30 g for average daily gains, 5.17±0.17, 4.76±0.17 ve 5.11±0.18 kg for total concentrate feed consumptions per 1 kg live weight, respectively. The effects of genotypes (P<0.05) and sex (P<0.001) on daily gain; and sex (P<0.001) on total concentrate consumptions per 1 kg of live weight were significant. All slaughtering and carcass traits except for stomach-intestines and spleen were heavier in Central Anatolian Merino and F1 lambs than Pırlak lambs (p<0.05, P<0.001). Pırlak, Central Anatolian Merino, and F1 lambs had values as 6.15±0.08, 6.17±0.08 and 6.25±0.09 for pH at 1 h after slaughter, respectively. The effects of genotype and sex on pH values at 0, 1th and 24th hours after slaughtering were nonsignificant. The differences among genotype groups for colour parameters were significant (P<0.05, P<0.01, P<0.001) for L* at 24th hour, and a* and b* at 1st hour. Heterosis in crosses for MLD area, fat thickness, MLD diameter, daily live weight gain and total concentrate consumptions per 1 kg of live weight were 8.07%, 7.78%, 5.85%, 3.49% ve 2.92%, respectively. It was concluded that the fattening performance, slaughtering and carcass characteristics of Pırlak lambs were similar to the native Turkish breeds and heterosis obtained in crossing with Central Anatolian Merino lambs can be fully exploited in local commercial herds.