Vol. 12, Issue 7 (2023)

Author(s):
Satyanarayana SDV, Ramesh Pandey, Krishna Murthy A, Neeraj, Ram Pal Singh, Anand Kumar Singh and Daniel Risheen G

Abstract:
This study focused on evaluating the relationship between body condition score (BCS) and various physical and post-mortem parameters in Nellore Brown rams of 1 year age. The objective was to evaluate the impact of BCS on live body weight and dressing percentage. Data was collected from 1-year-old Nellore Brown rams at a slaughterhouse in Banaganapalle, Andhra Pradesh. Physical measurements such as height, body length, and thoracic circumference were recorded, along with live body weight. Post-mortem parameters, including drained-out blood weight, skin weight, visceral organ weight, weight of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, shank weight, and hot carcass weight, were also measured. The data was analysed for significance and correlation using SPSS. The results showed that an increase in BCS was associated with an increase in the height, body length, and thoracic circumference of the rams. Live body weight also increased significantly with an increase in BCS. Post-mortem parameters such as drained-out blood weight, skin weight, weight of the GI tract, and weight of the head and shanks increased with higher BCS. However, the weight of visceral organs was highest in rams with BCS 4.0. Hot carcass weight showed a significant increase with an increase in BCS. The relationship between physical and post-mortem parameters with live body weight showed positive and significant correlations, with various parameters having the strongest relationship at different BCS levels. For dressing percentage, negative and significant relationships were observed between GI tract weight and dressing percentage at BCS 2.0, while positive relationships were found between hot carcass weight and dressing percentage at BCS 3.0 and BCS 4.0. Negative relationships were observed between skin weight and GI tract weight with dressing percentage at BCS 5.0. In conclusion, this study highlights the significant impact of BCS on physical parameters, post-mortem parameters, live body weight, and dressing percentage in Nellore Brown rams. The findings provide valuable insights for farmers and researchers, aiding in the better management and selection of Nellore Brown rams for improved productivity and profitability in the livestock industry.