Use of live body measurements for prediction of body and carcass cuts weights in three Egyptian breeds of sheep [electronic resource].

Includes references.

Eight body measurements were recorded on 30 Egyptian ram lambs (10 Ossimi, 10 Barki and 10 Rahmani) at slaughter age 12 months to predict weights of live body, hot carcass and carcass cuts. There was a positive and significant relationship between round circumference of Ossimi, Barki and Rahmani ram lambs and round weight of their carcasses. To predict live body weight of Ossimi ram lambs, paunch girth (PG) and body length (BL) must be included in the model with an accuracy of 93 %. Whereas, the equation including heart girth (HG), chest depth (CD) and paunch girth (PG) could predict hot carcass weight of Ossimi with R2 = 97 %. Meanwhile, body length (BL) alone contributed 47 % and 59 % of the variation in body weight and hot carcass weight of Barki ram lambs, respectively. Heart girth (HG) was the best single predictor and accounted alone for 86 % and 90 % of the variation in body weight and hot carcass weight of Rahmani ram lambs. The prediction equation must include only round circumference (RC) to predict round weight of both Ossimi and Barki carcasses with accuracy 67 % and 60 %, respectively.

Summary in Arabic.

1