The Effect of Fattening Period on the Fattening Ability and Carcass of Male Awassi Lambs

This study was carried out on Southeastern Anatolia Research Institute in Diyarbakir in 2005. The aim of the experiment was to investigate fattening performance and carcass characteristics of Awassi Lambs born at 2005 and fed at different terms. The creep fed lambs weaned at two months of age. The each of groups contains 15, 16, and 14 head of lambs and fed intensively for 60 (BS60), 75 (BS75), and 91 (BS91) days respectively. The average final live weight of lambs were found 36.07 +/- 1.64, 39.07 +/- 1.13 and 42.11 +/- 1.50 kg respectively and there was significant difference between BS60 group and BS91 group. The dressing percentage were found 47.41 +/- 0.677, 51.63 +/- 0.869 and 50.13 +/- 0.294, the average daily gain were 0.26 +/- 0.018 0.24 +/- 0.007 and 0.22 +/- 0.016 kg and feed conversion ratio of the groups were found 5.410, 5.635 and 6.160 kg respectively.