Динамика роста и развития длиннейшей мышцы спины овец западно-сибирской мясной породы

Animal meat quality is largely dependent on breed characteristics, body composition and production types. The requirements of the present-day market determine the topicality of mutton sheep breeding. The study of muscle tissue of sheep is aimed at revealing the morphological features important for the improvement of animals in terms of meat quality. The research goal was to study growth dynamics of weight and linear measurements of longissimus dorsi in West-Siberian mutton sheep in postnatal ontogenesis. In newborn lambs the longissimus dorsi is anatomically formed. Its absolute weight increases 12 times from neonatal age to 6 months and 1.5 times from 6 months to one year. The relative weight during those age periods increases evenly. The linear measurements of the longissimus dorsi increase from neonatal age to 6 months as following: the length on the left and right 1.7 times, the width on the left 2.4 times and on the right 2.7 times; the thickness on the left 2.9 times and on the right 3.1 times. From 6 months to one year the length on the left and right increases 2 times, the width on the left 3.5 times, and on the right 3.7 times; the thickness on the right and left 5.8 times.