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The objective of this study was to determine the fattening performance and carcass and meat quality characteristics of Kivircik twin male lambs. Twelve lambs at approximately 5 months of age were subjected to a finishing diet for 60 days. Average live weight of lambs at the beginning and the end of the fattening were 23.14 ± 0.84 and 39.0 ± 1.01 kg, respectively. Daily live weight gain and feed conversion efficiency were found as 0.265 ± 0.007 and 6.14 kg, respectively. Hot carcass weight, cold carcass weight, and dressing percentage were 19.6 ± 0.6 and 18.9 ± 0.6 kg and 48.1 ± 0.3%, respectively. Kidney-pelvic fat weight, internal fat weight, and m. longissimus dorsi area were 0.117 ± 0.023 and 0.364 ± 0.041 kg and 15.26 ± 0.70 cm(2), respectively. The percentages of leg, back loin, forearm, shoulder, neck, flank-chest, kidney-pelvic fat, and internal fat in carcasses of the lambs were found as 34.1 ± 0.4%, 19.6 ± 0.3%, 21.0 ± 0.2%, 7.0 ± 0.3%, 10.5 ± 0.3%, 7.2 ± 0.2%, 1.3 ± 0.1%, and 1.8 ± 0.1%, respectively. Averages water content, ash, protein content, and fat content of meat samples were 73.4%, 1.0%, 19.5% and 3.6%, respectively. pH and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances values of meat samples were 5.55 and 0.056 ± 0.017. L*(lightness), a*(redness), and b*(yellowness) values were recorded as 43.87, 12.69, and 10.22, respectively. Thus, we conclude that fattening performance, carcass, and meat quality of Kivircik lambs are satisfactory levels than that of other native breeds.

Abstract. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary vitamin E supplementation on performance, slaughter-carcass characteristics and meat quality traits of Karya male lambs. Lambs weaned approximately at 10 weeks of age were divided into two groups. After the 10 days adaptation period, control group (CG, n7) and vitamin E group (VEG, n=6) lambs were fed on with concentrates ad libitum and 100 g hay/lamb/day for 70 days. In addition the VEG received a supplement on concentrates of 45 mg/lamb/day vitamin E during the fattening period. The meat quality traits were determined using m. longissimus dorsi (LD) obtained from split between 12th and 13th ribs on both groups lambs. Daily gain and feed conversion efficiency were 259 g and 5.3 for CG and 266 g and 4.7 for VEG, respectively. There was no vitamin E supplementation effect on the average daily weight gain and feed conversion efficiency (P>0.05). However, VEG had 10.5 % higher feed conversion efficiency than control lambs. Slaughter and carcass characteristics of lambs were not significantly affected from vitamin E supplementation (P>0.05). There were no effects of vitamin E supplementation on lightness (L*), redness (a*), yellowness (b*) and pH during 12-day aerobic storage. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) values at day 2 were not affected by the vitamin E treatment. However, TBARS values on day 4 and 8 (P<0.05), and day 12 (P<0.01) were higher in the CG than in the VEG. Although not significant, 10 % higher feed conversion efficiency in VEG animals might suggest that vitamin E supplementation is useful to improve fattening performance.

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The study was conducted to determine the production characteristics and to find out the phenotypic relationships between udder and milk production traits in Hair goats. A total of 403 Hair Goats under extensive conditions of Çine town of Aydin province of Turkey were constituted the animal material of the study. The live weights of all goats were recorded just before breeding season. Milk was measured in every month according to the basis of morning or evening milking in a day to estimation of milk yields. Live weights of kids were recorded monthly intervals. Measurements for udder characteristics were determined for two times at 30th and at 180th of the lactation period. Average lactation length, lactation milk yield and daily milk yield of goats were 192.4 days, 139.1 kg and 0.7 kg, respectively. The live weights at birth, 30th, 60th, 90th and 120th days of goat kids were 3.1, 8.6, 13.9, 19.1 and 24.5 kg, respectively. Mean values of withers height, body length and live weight of goats were measured as 73.2 cm, 71.3 cm and 54.5 kg, respectively. Udder and teat characteristics of goats were found positively correlated with milk production characteristics both 30th and 180th days of the lactation period. It can be concluded that Hair goats in extensive conditions had a substantial level of milk yield and their kids had sufficient levels of live weight gains. Furthermore, the udder measurements at the beginning of the lactation could be used for identifying the differences among does.