RESEARCHES CONCERNING THE MEAT PRODUCTION IMPROVEMENT AT THE INDIGENOUS SHEEP POPULATIONS, THROUGH THE APPLIANCE OF CERTAIN APPROPRIATE FATTENING TECHNOLOGIES

The main purpose of the researches was to reveal the production capacity of sheep youth for increased quantities of high quality mutton, under semi-intensive fattening conditions. The biological material belonged to Tigaie and Turcana breeds, while the groups have been established on several criteria, such as: gender, breed, variety, age and body weight. Control weightings have been run in order to assess whole cumulated body mass and the average daily gain. These data served to calculate the feed conversion ratio for each kg gain of live weight. During the researches, the feeding was identical for all groups. However, the diets were different, in accordance with the technological stage. At the end of the fattening period, control slaughtering has been run, in order to evaluate the real fattening degree, on the slaughtered animal. Consequently, the slaughtering efficiency and the participation ratio of the trenched parts in whole carcass have been calculated after carcasses weighting. The fattening technology supposed an overall period of 175 days and comprised three technological periods: adaptation, growing and fattening and finishing. During adaptation period, the daily average gains had very low values, while during the second phase, certain statistic distinct differentiations occurred between groups, the daily gain being comprised between 108.5 ± 9.8g in Turcana females, grey variety and 139.0 ± 11.8g in Tigaie males. Highest values for slaughtering efficiency were recorded at the Tigaie males lambs, meaning 44.40%, slightly followed by the Turcana males group, black variety (44.10%). Among the females groups, the best results have been consecutively achieved by Tigaie, Turcana black variety and Turcana white variety.After carcasses trenching in Tigaie breed, the participation of the parts belonging to Ist quality class were found at 62.8%, meaning that from this value, 46.9% represented the leg of mutton. Poorest results after trenching and quality classifying have been achieved from the Turcana females, white variety. Our researches revealed significant increases of carcasses quality and prove that prior to delivery the youth fattened on pasture should receive concentrate supplementation during the last 30 days