Carcass and non-carcass component characteristics of lambs fed with cassava wastewater dregs in replacement of corn

Abstract

The objective was to evaluate the effect of the substitution (0, 33, 66 and 100%) of corn by cassava wastewater dregs on carcass characteristics and non-carcass components of crossbred Santa Inês lambs. Forty male sheep, uncastrated with an average initial body weight of 20 ± 1.87 kg and five months of age, were used. These were housed in individual pens in a randomized block design with four treatments and ten repetitions and slaughtered after 70 days of confinement. Quadratic effect (P < 0.05) was observed for the empty body weight (EBW), hot carcass weight (HCW) and cold carcass weight (CCW) and carcass compactness index (CCI), with maximum points of 36.14, 19.45, 20.20 and 0.31 kg cm-1 for the replacement level of corn for cassava wastewater dregs, 50.0, 53.84, 54.04 and 45.45% respectively. There was also an effect (P < 0.05) on the weights of the rumen and “Buchada”, with maximum points of 0.909 and 6.25 kg per replacement level, 49.11 and 51.29% respectively. As for retail cuts, only the efficiency of the leg was altered (P < 0.05), having a linear increase while the other variables were not affected. Cassava wastewater dregs can be used in full as an alternative food in the diet of feedlot lambs without harming the main carcass characteristics and non-carcass components.