THE INFLUENCE OF THE FATTENING SYSTEM ON GROWTH RATE AND DRESSING PERCENTAGE OF THE TURCANA LAMBS BRED IN MONTAIN AREA IN THE NORTH-EAST OF ROMANIA

The purpose of this paper was to demonstrate the influence of growth system on the growth rate and dressing percentage of the lamb reared in Bucovina. Growing systems covered by the study are: the traditional and semi-intensive. To conduct research was purchase a total of 20 lambs weaned from Turcana breed, which were divided into two groups (about 10 lambs in each group). A lot was reared in a traditional mountain system in the shepherd of Bucovina, and the other group was subjected to semi-intensive fattening. Traditional growth is widespread in Romania, being the least expensive and easily applied by farmers, but with reduced efficiency for the production of meat. In comparison, semiintensive system involve minimal cost with maintenance of the animals and feed preparation, but that can offer a average daily gain increases by two times higher than in the same period of time. Dynamics of average daily gain showed significant differences between the groups studied, the statistical differences are justified by the values obtained monthly and on the total period of 152 g for the lot reared semi-intensive and 59.3 g for the lot reared traditional. After slaughter were no statistical differences observed between average carcass weights with organs, but after removal the organs obtained from traditional growth carcasses were about 35% smaller leading to a distinctly significant statistical difference between groups. Selling cutting yield of 47% resulting from the slaughter lambs reared semi-intensively, is a good rate considering that Turcana breed is not specialized for meat production, and for lambs reared traditionally was registered a lower value (43%).