Breed and sex class affect the intake, performance, and meat quality of Pantaneiro and Santa Inês lambs but do not alter carcass patterns

Context Pantaneiro sheep, native to the Brazilian Pantanal, are distinguished by their rusticity and adaptability to adverse environments. These animals have demonstrated high productive potential in terms of carcass characteristics and meat quality. However, comparisons with improved breeds are limited, and factors such as sex class can also influence their productive parameters. Aim The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of breed (Santa Inês and Pantaneiro) and sex class (castrated and intact) on the growth performance, ingestive behavior, carcass, and meat quality of lambs finished in feedlot. Methods Twenty 30-days-old lambs were allocated in a completely randomized design in a 2 × 2 factorial scheme, with the first factor being breed (SI = Santa Inês or PA = Pantaneiro; 10 animals each) and the second factor being sex class (C = castrated or I = intact; 10 animals each). Key results For the SI breed, the I lambs had a longer finishing period (113 days) compared with the C lambs (88 days). In the PA lambs, the opposite was observed, i.e. the C animals showed a longer finishing period (124 days) than did the I animals (101 days). Dry matter intake (DMI) was greater for the SI breed C lambs (1.51 kg) than for the I lambs of the same breed (1.26 kg). The opposite was observed for the PA breed lambs, where DMI was lower for the C lambs (1.24 kg) than for the I lambs (1.46 kg). The meat from the SI lambs had lower shear force, luminosity, and chroma values, as well as a greater myofibrillar fragmentation index. Conclusions Santa Inês lambs produce meat with superior qualitative characteristics, and castration does not reduce the growth performance of this breed. The castration reduces the average daily gain of Pantaneiro lambs. Implications The performance of intact lambs and the observed carcass yields demonstrated the potential of Pantaneiro sheep as a breed for intensive production.