The effects of docking on fattening performance and carcass characteristics in fat-tailed Norduz male lambs

The effects of docking on fattening performance and carcass characteristics were investigated using 28 fat-tailed Norduz single-born male lambs raised at the Research and Practice Farm of Yüzüncü Yıl University of Van, Turkey. Lambs (n = 13) were docked at 1 day of age with rubber-rings using elastrator. After weaning, lambs were fed concentrates ad libitum for 70 days. Carcasses of slaughtered lambs were chilled at +4 °C for 24 h and evaluated for carcass characteristics. Average daily live weight gains of control and docked lambs were 203 and 210 g, respectively. The slaughter and carcass characteristics of the control and docked lambs were as follows: untailed dressing percentages 38 and 43%; kidney and pelvic fat weights 0.07 and 0.11 kg; neck weights 0.6 and 0.7 kg; flank-breast weights 0.76 and 0.98 kg; tail fat weights 3.08 and 1.07 kg, respectively. These differences were significant. Though not significant, corresponding estimates for Musculus longissimus dorsi areas 16.8 and 19.1 cm2; muscle ratios 42 and 41%; bone ratios 24 and 23%; subcutaneous fat ratios 12.2 and 15.7%; intramuscular fat ratios 3.6 and 3.8%, respectively, were important. The results of this research indicated that docking of fat-tailed Norduz lambs was beneficial in both improving daily live weight gain and carcass characteristics by consumers.