Morphofunctional characteristics of Dorper sheep crossed with Brazilian native breeds

The relationship between body development and external measures in sheep could provide useful information to define the optimal slaughter time as well as the adequate nutritional management. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the morpho-functional diversity of Dorper sheep crossed with Brazilian native breeds using in vivo morphometric analysis. The animals evaluated were from crosses of Dorper with Morada Nova, Rabo Largo and Santa Inês sheeps. The animals were slaughtered at 120 and 240 days of age. Body and carcass measures, weight of meat cuts and growth were evaluated. The crossbred animals were analyzed by sex, totaling six treatments. A factorial analysis was performed using two sets of data: the in vivo morphometric measures, and all the other characteristics and these factors were used as new variables. The differences among treatments were analyzed using MANOVA and canonical analysis. The meat cuts, conformation, marketability adaptation, and early maturity of the animals slaughtered at 120 days, as well as the meat cuts, conformation, adaptation, early maturity, and hindquarter of the animals slaughtered at 240 days were evaluated. As regards body measurements, at both slaughter ages, the following factors were discriminated: height, robustness, length, and thoracic circumference. Animal slaughtered at 120 days of age showed greater differences whereas at 240 days the differences diminished allowing to individuate which treatments were more adaptive or productive. Crosses ½ Dorper ×½ Santa Inês (male and female), and ½ Dorper × ½ Rabo Largo male slaughtered at 240 days seem to show higher productivity and better marketability abilities. The other crosses tend to have a more rustic profile (less productive) and smaller size, reaching however adult size earlier and showing better adaptive characteristics, which allows to decide for slaughtering at younger ages.