EFEITO DO RESÍDUO ÚMIDO DE CERVEJARIA SOBRE A COMPOSIÇÃO TECIDUAL E CENTESIMAL DA CARNE DE CORDEIROS CONFINADOS

The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of increasing levels of substitution of sorghum silage by wet brewery residue (RUC) on the tissue and centesimal composition of the meat of lambs finished in confinement. Twenty-four male, uncastrated, Suffolk lambs were used. The trataments were constituted by four levels of substitution of sorghum silage by brewery residue being: 0; 33.5; 66.5 and 100% replacement. A voluminous:concentrate ratio of 50:50, based on MS, was used. The weight and proportion of fat increased linearly (P≤0.05) while the proportion of muscle decreased linearly (P≤0.05) in the carcass of the animals whit the increase of RUC inclusion in the diets. The lambs centesimal composition was not significantly influenced by the RUC levels (P>0.5), except for the ash contente that presented increasing linear behavior (P≤0.05). The use of RUC as a bulky food replacing sorghum silage in confined lamb diets allows the main psysical-chemical characteristcs related to meat quality to be kept within the normal standards obtained for the ovine species.