Determination of Level Protein Intake to Control Fat and Protein in Carcass of Fattened Lambs

Twenty four thin tailed lambs aged aproximately 3 months old with an average body weight of 14.19±2.41 kg (CV 16.98%) were used in this study to determine the level of dietary protein (percent protein intake per body weight; CPI in %BW) required to achieve a low fat content (less than 5%) in lamb meat preferred by consumer. The lamb were fed the diets containing 14, 16 and 18% crude protein (CP) and 60 and 70% total digestible nutrients (TDN). The lambs were slaughtered after 3 months raising under the feeding treatments which reached average slaughter weight 24.48 ± 3.45 kg. The carcass was weighed to obtain carcass weight, and was then separated into meat, fat and bone. The longisimus dorsi (LD) and Biceps femoris (BF) were used to determine the fat and protein content of carcass by proximate analysis. The data of level CPI (in %BW) was then correlated to fat and protein in carcass, and was analyzed to determine the level protein intake required to control carcass fat. The results showed that the level of CPI (in %BW) were significantly correlated (P<0.05) with carcass fat, meat fat and carcass protein, being 0.11, 0.40 and 0.63 respectively. This study found that level of protein intake per body weight (CPI in %BW) for lamb should be less than 0.7%BW to obtain a consumer preferred low fat content (less than 5%) in lamb meat