Effect of supplying effective microbes on carcass characteristics of Washera sheep fed wheat straw

Abstract

The carcass characteristics of intact male Washera sheep which received wheat straw treated with different proportion of effective microbes (EM) were evaluated in this study. Twenty four vaccinated experimental sheep with initial body weight of 19.78 ± 1.97 kg (mean ± SD) were assigned into six blocks of four animals and randomly distributed to four treatments: ad libitum EM free wheat straw with concentrate feed (T1), ad libitum wheat straw treated by 1% EM with concentrate feed (T2), 3% EM with concentrate feed (T3), and 5% EM with concentrate feed (T4) of total dry matter. The experiment consisted of 90 days of feeding trial followed by carcass parameters evaluation. The slaughter body weight, empty body weight, hot carcass weight, and rib eye muscle area were significantly lower (p < 0.05) in sheep in T1 than sheep in T4. Sheep in T4 has significantly higher (p < 0.05) dressing percentage on both empty body weight and slaughter body weight basis than sheep in T1. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in head, tongue, heart, and liver among treatments, but sheep in T4 had significantly higher (p < 0.05) kidney and kidney fat than sheep that received T1.