Productivity and carcass characteristics obtained in calcium propionatesupplemented sheep

Objective. Evaluate the effect of the inclusion of calcium propionate (CaP) on productive variables and carcass characteristics in finishing lambs. Materials and methods. 24 male lambs of the Dorper x Pelibuey cross of 5 months of age were used, with an average body weight (μ ± SD) of 27±2.7 kg. Were assigned to one of three treatments (control [CON] and two CaP levels: 10 and 20 g/kg DM) in a completely randomized design (3 treatments, 8 repetitions per treatment, considering each lamb as an experimental unit). Response variables were reduced to 1 mean value for each lamb, and data were analyzed in SAS version 9.4 using Proc Mixed. Results. Daily weight gain (DWG), conversion (FCE) and feed efficiency (FEU) were higher by 13, 20 and 24%, respectively, due to the inclusion of 20 g CaP/kg DM (p≤0.05). Chilled carcass weight (CCW), hot carcass dressing (HCD) and cold carcass dressing (CCD) were higher when increasing the inclusion level of CaP (p≤0.05). Conclusions. Supplementation with CaP in doses of up to 20g / kg in finishing diets can improve production parameters and carcass performance without affecting dry matter intake (DMI).