The objective of this paper was to study subcutaneous fat thickness, loin eye area, length and maximum depth measurements of the longissimus dorsi muscle between the 13th rib and the 1st lumbar vertebra determined by ultrasound examination and on the carcass of discard ewes slaughtered in different physiological stages, besides correlation and determination coefficients among measurements evaluated. It was used 21 Santa Ines ewes distributed into the following treatments: EL = ewes that remained in lactation for 60 days with their respective lambs and slaughtered one day after weaning; EWL = ewes that remained in lactation for 60 days with their respective lambs one more period of approximately 30 days without the lambs and slaughtered afterwards; and ENC = ewes that did not give birth during the year. Results showed that the maximum length of the longissimus dorsi muscle obtained by ultrasound examination and on carcass of the animals were not influenced by the experimental treatments. The ultrasound can be used with reasonable accuracy to estimate characteristics of the carcass of discard ewes, particularly the thickness of subcutaneous fat.
carcass traits; longissimus dorsi; rib eye area; sheep; subcutaneous fat
