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Animals
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Current Research in Sheep and Goats Reared for Meat
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Current Research in Sheep and Goats Reared for Meat

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Small Ruminants".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 3893

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Wei Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Interests: animal nutrition; rumen metabolism; cashmere and wool quality; mutton quality; nutritional management; nutrient requirement; feed evaluation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Youji Ma

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
Interests: sheep and goat breeding; sheep and goat reproduction; genomics; rumen microbiology; sheeep and goat production
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Qingchang Ren

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Animal Science, Anhui Science and Technology University, Fengyang 233100, China
Interests: animal nutrition; gastrointestinal development; microflora; meat quality characteristics; volatile fatty acid; feed additive; amino acid; fatty acid; rumen

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Mutton production is a major aspect of sheep and goat farming in many countries of the world. Most of the populations that farm sheep or goats depend on mutton production as an important source of income; thus, the economics of mutton production are linked to mainstream chains in the sheep and goat industry. The production of high-quality mutton is necessary not only to meet the increasing consumer demand but also to improve sustainable development in the mutton industry. Thus, we announce our Special Issue related to “Current Research in Sheep and Goats Reared for Meat”. For this Special Issue, we are pleased to invite you to share your innovative research or review papers on the latest developments in mutton production, focusing on improving technologies. More specifically, cutting-edge research papers or reviews related to nutrition regulation in sheep and goats reared for meat, genetic breeding, farm management, reproductive technology, disease control and treatment, meat quality identification and regulation, the processing and preservation of mutton, and other aspects of this field are welcomed for this Special Issue. In addition, this Special Issue also encourages research papers related to the efficient utilization of dung resources with regard to green development across the whole chain of the sheep and goat meat industry. We look forward to receiving your valuable contributions.

Prof. Dr. Wei Zhang
Prof. Dr. Youji Ma
Dr. Qingchang Ren
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sheep and goats
  • nutrition and feed
  • genetic breeding and reproduction
  • disease control
  • management and environment
  • dung resource utilization
  • production performance
  • meat quality
  • mutton processing and storage
  • lamb production
  • feed additives

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 278 KiB  
Article
Saturated Fatty Acids in Wool as Markers Related to Intramuscular Fat Content in Lambs
by Karla Inostroza, Giovanni Larama, Mario Díaz-Matus de la Parra, Silvana Bravo, Romina Rodríguez, Ana Guerrero and David Cancino-Baier
Animals 2024, 14(19), 2822; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14192822 - 30 Sep 2024
Viewed by 798
Abstract
The aim of this study was to identify Longissimus lumborum (LL) muscle from lambs with high IMF content (≥3%) using wool FA. The FA composition was characterized in two sections of wool from Suffolk Down lambs, and its relationship with IMF content assessed. [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to identify Longissimus lumborum (LL) muscle from lambs with high IMF content (≥3%) using wool FA. The FA composition was characterized in two sections of wool from Suffolk Down lambs, and its relationship with IMF content assessed. One hundred and forty lambs of similar body weight, body condition score, and age were selected. IMF content from LL muscle, and the wool fat and FA composition of the wool were determined. The proportions of FAs in the wool of lambs with low IMF were 51.96 ± 7.3% of saturated, 31.96 ± 7.7% polyunsaturated, and 16.08 ± 2.3% monounsaturated. Similar proportions of FAs were observed in wool samples of lambs with high IMF. Significant differences were found only in the SFA proportion between groups (p < 0.05). The predominant FAs in the wool samples were C16:0, C17:0, C18:0, C18:1n9c and C18:2n6c, representing over 60% of total FA methyl esters. Correlations were found between the wool FAs C16:1, C17:0, C18:0, C18:1n9c, C24:0, and C22:6n3 in wool samples divided into two sections. Discriminant analysis identified SFAs, particularly FAs C22:0 and C24:0, as potential candidate for predicting lambs with high IMF content with an accuracy of over 92%. These results provide to our knowledge evidence that IMF content could potentially be determined using wool FAs as a non-invasive method. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Research in Sheep and Goats Reared for Meat)
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10 pages, 1124 KiB  
Article
Weight Development and Growth Curves of Grazing Santa Inês Sheep Supplemented with Concentrate in the Pre-Weaning Phase
by Rodrigo Ferreira da Silva, Pedro Henrique Cavalcante Ribeiro, Yasmin dos Santos Silva, Maria Alice de Lima Soares, Cláudio Vaz De Mambro Ribeiro, Adriano Henrique do Nascimento Rangel, Marcelo de Andrade Ferreira, João Virgínio Emerenciano Neto and Stela Antas Urbano
Animals 2024, 14(12), 1766; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14121766 - 12 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1128
Abstract
Monitoring weight development is essential for decision-making and assessing the effectiveness of management strategies. However, this practice is often hindered by the lack of scales on farms. This study aimed to characterize the weight development and growth curves of male and female Santa [...] Read more.
Monitoring weight development is essential for decision-making and assessing the effectiveness of management strategies. However, this practice is often hindered by the lack of scales on farms. This study aimed to characterize the weight development and growth curves of male and female Santa Inês lambs from birth to weaning, managed on pasture with creep-fed concentrate supplementation. Data from 212 lambs during the pre-weaning phase were analyzed. The animals were weighed every seven days to evaluate total weight gain and average daily gain. Biometric measurements were taken every 28 days. Mixed models were used to assess the effects of sex and birth type on birth and weaning weights. Simple and multiple linear regression models were employed to estimate live weight using biometric measurements. The non-linear Gompertz model was utilized to describe weight development and formulate growth curves. Results were considered significant at p < 0.05. An interaction effect between birth type and sex (p < 0.05) was noted for birth weight, with the lowest weight observed in twin-birth females (2.96 kg) and the highest in single-birth males (3.73 kg) and females (3.65 kg) (p > 0.05). Birth type significantly influenced average daily gain, total weight gain, and weaning weight (p < 0.05). The Gompertz model accurately depicted the growth curves, effectively describing the weight development. Pearson’s correlation coefficients between biometric measurements and weight were positive and significant (p < 0.05), ranging from 0.599 for hip height to 0.847 for heart girth. Consequently, the simple and multiple regression equations demonstrated high precision in predicting weaning weight. In conclusion, twin-birth lambs receiving concentrate supplementation via creep-feeding and managed on pasture showed different developmental patterns compared to single-birth lambs under the same conditions. The Gompertz model proved effective for monitoring development during the pre-weaning phase. All simple and multiple linear regression models were effective in predicting weaning weight through biometric measurements. However, for practical application, the model incorporating two measurements—body length and abdominal circumference—is recommended. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Research in Sheep and Goats Reared for Meat)
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15 pages, 1308 KiB  
Article
Effects of Supplementing Tributyrin on Meat Quality Characteristics of Foreshank Muscle of Weaned Small-Tailed Han Sheep Lambs
by Xue-Er Wang, Zhi-Wei Li, Li-Lin Liu and Qing-Chang Ren
Animals 2024, 14(8), 1235; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14081235 - 19 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1061
Abstract
This experiment aimed to evaluate the effects of supplementing tributyrin (TB) on the meat quality characteristics of foreshank muscle of weaned lambs. A total of 30 healthy weaned Small-Tailed Han female lambs with body weights ranging from 23.4 to 31.6 kg were selected [...] Read more.
This experiment aimed to evaluate the effects of supplementing tributyrin (TB) on the meat quality characteristics of foreshank muscle of weaned lambs. A total of 30 healthy weaned Small-Tailed Han female lambs with body weights ranging from 23.4 to 31.6 kg were selected and randomly divided into five groups, and each group consisted of 6 lambs. The control group was fed a basic total mixed ration, while other groups were fed the same ration supplemented with 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 g/kg TB, respectively. The experiment lasted 75 d, including 15 d of adaptation. Foreshank muscle obtained at the same position from each lamb was used for chemical analysis and sensory evaluation. The results showed that supplementing TB increased the muscle contents of ether extract (p = 0.029), calcium (p = 0.030), phosphorus (p = 0.007), and intermuscular fat length (p = 0.022). Besides, TB increased the muscle pH (p = 0.001) and redness (p < 0.001) but reduced the lightness (p < 0.001), drip loss (p = 0.029), cooking loss (p < 0.001), shear force (p = 0.001), hardness (p < 0.001), cohesiveness (p < 0.001), springiness (p < 0.001), gumminess (p < 0.001), and chewiness (p < 0.001). In addition, TB increased the muscle content of inosine-5′-phosphate (p = 0.004). Most importantly, TB increased the muscle contents of essential amino acids (p < 0.001). Furthermore, TB increased the saturated fatty acids level in the muscle (p < 0.001) while decreasing the unsaturated fatty acids content (p < 0.001). In conclusion, supplementing TB could influence the meat quality of foreshank muscle of weaned lambs by modifying the amino acid and fatty acid levels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Research in Sheep and Goats Reared for Meat)
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