QUALIDADE DA CARNE DE CORDEIROS F1 DORPER X SANTA INÊS ALIMENTADOS COM ESPIRULINA (Spirulina platensis)

Abstract

Feedlot System can works as alternative for Animal maintenance performance during off seasons, which can happen in drought season in Semi-arid of Brazil´s Northeast. However, even in drought seasons, is important offer roughage for the animals in the feedlots. The primary aim of this review is to measure the effects of spirulina levels and gender over cooking losses (CL) and shear forces (SF) of Semimembranosus leg´s muscle of crossbreeds sheep (F1 Dorper x Santa Inês) at feedlot. It was selected 40 left legs, previously defrosted, of 40 sheeps F1 Dorper x Santa Inês (20 intact male and 20 females). The experimental diets varied according to spirulina levels (0,0; 0,6; 1,2 and 1,8% based on dried substances (DS)], distributed in a factorial scheme 4 x 2, with 8 treatments and 5 repetitions per treatment, totalizing 40 parcels. There was no interaction between spirulina levels and genders for any variable analyzed by this review. There was influence (P<0,05) of the different spirulina levels over the evaporation losses and total losses. The increase of spirulina addition levels afforded evaporation losses and total one. The shear force was not influenced by gender or addition of spirulina on the diet. Feedlot System is practicable for male and female sheeps, because it contributes to improve the quality of end product and reduce abate time of animals. However, new researches that found the use of spirulina as supplementary diet on sheeps are necessary.