Use of macaúba cake replacing corn on carcass characteristics and body measurements of Santa Inês lambs

This experiment evaluated the effect of adding macaúba (Acrocomia aculeata) cake replacing corn on body measurements and carcass characteristics of Santa Inês lambs. Twenty four 5-month-old uncastrated male lambs were tested using a randomized blocks design. Lambs were distributed into four experimental groups, receiving diets with 0, 100, 200 and 300 g/kg of macaúba cake. After 60 days in feedlot, measurements of body length, thoracic perimeter, height at the anterior and rump height were taken. The lambs were slaughtered, skinned and eviscerated. Carcass were weighed hot and chilled at 2 ºC during 24 h. Cooling losses, hot carcass weight, cold carcass weight, hot carcass yield, cold carcass yield, half carcass weight, fat thickness, final weight, slaughter weight, empty body weight, thorax depth, croup width, perimeter of the croup, carcass length, internal carcass length, hindlimb length, hindlimb width and hindlimb conformation score were evaluated. Only hindlimb width was inversely correlated to adding macaúba cake in the diet. Macaúba cake can be included in diets for lamb in feedlot up to 300 g/kg without affecting body measurements in vivo or carcass characteristics.