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Carcass Merit of Finnsheep Crossbred Lambs^{1 ,2,}

University of Minnesota, St. Paul 55108

Abstract

Carcass merit of Finnsheep crossbred lambs and three domestic breeds, Suffolk, Targhee and Minnesota 100, were compared. Back-crosses to the Finnsheep and the three domestic breeds as well as F₁ lamb carcasses were studied. A total of 284 lambs were slaughtered and traits measured included hindsaddle weight, kidney and pelvic fat (%), longissimus area, fat thickness over the longissimus area, U.S.D.A. quality grade and U.S.D.A. yield grade. Significant differences were observed among the 13 breeding groups for all traits studied and year effects for several of the traits. No breed by year interaction effects were observed. The Finnsheep breed, although represented by only a small sample size, had significantly less weight of hindsaddle than the three domestic breeds. The carcasses from the Finnsheep and its crossbred progeny generally had less external fat than carcasses from the domestic breeds. On the other hand, substantial differences were noted in amount of internal fat; the Finnsheep and its crosses had a larger amount (%) than domestic breeds.

Carcass merit of Finnsheep F₁ cross lambs was slightly less than for three domestic breed lambs but still commercially satisfactory. There were no significant differences between the average of domestic breeds and their Finnsheep F₁ crossbreds for area of longissimus muscle or predicted amount of retail cuts, as measured by U.S.D.A. yield grade.

The proposed use of the Finnsheep breed to increase prolificacy of domestic flocks can be recommended since carcass merit of the cross-bred lambs will be commercially-satisfactory based on the results reported in this paper.

¹ Paper No. 8759, Scientific Journal Series of the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station in cooperation with the Animal Science Research Division, A.R.S., U.S.D.A. as a contribution to the Regional Project NC-111.

² Assistance and cooperation of Wilson and Company, Albert Lea, Minnesota, is gratefully acknowledged.