Performance, carcass conformation and meat quality of suckling, weaned and heavy lambs, and culled fattened ewes of autochthonous alpine sheep breeds

Several local sheep breeds of the Alpine regions are in danger extinction as a result mountain farms being abandoned. Three fattening trials were carried out on 4 Veneto region (Foza, Lamon, Alpagota, and Brogna) total 115 ewes suckling lambs, weaned lambs heavy slaughtered at 1356 ± 267, 104 24, 219 26, 342 14 d age, respectively. The results confirmed that adoption mixed diets resulted good vivo post mortem performances culled (64 kg slaughter weight, 48% dressing percentage), (21 kg, 50%), (30 42%) (61 48%). Carcass compactness fatness increased with age whereas proportions lean meat bone decreased. Meat lightness cooking losses decreased redness chroma increased. quality was like lambs. conformation composition (aside from size traits), differed little among four breeds. These show potentially valuable sources lamb mutton across different seasons, paving way for strategies to develop promote involvement high-quality restaurants retailers.HighlightsCompared outdoor grazing, indoor post-mortem ewes, lambs.Autochthonous seasons year.This potential could be exploited developing prestigious product aimed high butchers. subsequent demand would, turn, contribute survival regions.