Desempenho produtivo e parâmetros de carcaça de cordeiros mantidos em pastos irrigados e suplementados com doses crescentes de concentrado

2 Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuaria, Rod. BR 428, km 152, Zona rural, 77800-000, Recife, Pernambuco, Brasil. 3 Empresa ABSTRACT. Productive performance and carcass traits of lambs grazing on irrigated pastures and receiving increasing concentrate levels. The objective of this present study was to evaluate the productive performance and carcass traits of lambs finished on Tifton 85 irrigated pastures and receiving increasing levels of concentrate. Four levels of concentrate were compared on a dry matter basis (0, 0.66, 1.33 and 2.00%) in relation to the body weight of animals. The experimental period was 84 days, divided into four sub-periods of 21 days. Twenty- four Santa Ines male sheep, castrated, weighting 20.5 kg, were used as testers. The experimental design was completely randomized with six replications. The increase in concentrate levels promoted higher final body weight, average daily gain, total weight gain, total dry matter intake, pelvic-renal fat score, external body length, rump width, chest width and depth, croup perimeter and ham perimeter, as well as lower forage dry matter intake and eggs per gram of feces. However, hot carcass dressing was not affected by concentrate supplementation. The increase in concentrate supplementation levels for lambs grazing on Tifton 85 irrigated pastures promoted higher productive performance and carcass weight.