Effects of quantitative feed restriction and sex on carcass traits, meat quality and meat lipid profile of Morada Nova lambs.

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of feed restriction (FR) and sex on the quantitative and qualitative carcass traits of Morada Nova lambs. Thirty-five animals with an initial body weight of 14.5 ± 0.89 kg and age of 120 d were used in a completely randomized study with a 3 × 3 factorial scheme consisting of three sexes (11 entire males, 12 castrated males and 12 females) and three levels of feeding (ad libitum - AL and 30% and 60% FR). Entire males presented greater hot and cold carcass weights ( Lambs of different sexes had carcasses with different quantitative traits without total influence on the chemical and physical meat characteristics. The lipid profile of the meat was less favorable to consumer health when the animals were female or submitted to 60% feed restriction.