The objective was to determine in vivo and carcass measurements of culled ewes slaughtered at different physiological stages and the possible correlations between the objective measurements (in vivo and in the carcass) and the body weight at slaughter and cold carcass weight. Twenty-one Santa Inês ewes were used, placed in the following treatments: EL = ewes which remained in lactation for 60 days with their respective lambs and slaughtered one day after weaning the lambs; EWL = ewes which remained in lactation for 60 days with their respective lambs and a further period of approximately 30 days without their lambs and, afterwards, slaughtered; and ENP = ewes that remained in feedlot for 60 days and did give birth during the year. No difference was observed between rearing systems in most of the characteristics measured in vivo and in the carcass. The croup perimeter determined in the carcass and the thoracic perimeter and chest and croup width obtained in vivo were highly correlated to the body and cold carcass weights of the ewes in this study. Therefore, these measurements can assist in determining the body weight of ewes at different physiological stages.
body weight at slaughtering; carcass compactness; correlations; sheep
