We evaluated the growth performance and quantitative and qualitative characteristics of carcass and non-carcass components of crossbred lambs meat (½ undefined breed - SPRD x ½ Santa Inês - SI and ½ SPRD x ½ Somalis Brasileira - SB) finished in feedlot. We used 16 lambs weaned males, intact, with an initial weight of 19.7 ± 2.0 kg and about three months old. We adopted the design of randomized blocks, with blocks represented by the initial weight ranges for each genetic group evaluated (½ SPRD x ½ SI and ½ SPRD x ½ SB), with eight replicates in each group. Sheep ½ SPRD x ½ SI had higher average daily weight gain, total weight gain, length and head ham, carcass internal length, weight and yield of the hindquarter, weights and performance of non-carcass components (lung and trachea, liver, kidney, head and feet). ½ SPRD x ½ SB showed higher values for body condition scores initial and final fat thickness, degree of finish, initial pH and final. In this study, crossbred ½ SPRD x ½ SI lambs is a promising alternative to obtaining of production systems more efficient considering the superiority of weight gain and carcass characteristics related to morphometric measurements, cut meat diet hacksaw and non-carcass components in the ½ SPRD x ½ SB animals. However, SPRD ½ x ½ SB lambs feature superiority as the conservation aspects of carcass and in the case of markets with preference for carcass with higher fat content.
carcass yield; commercial cuts; crossbreeding; sheep