Life Sciences Commons^™

Testosterone Influences On Growth, Performance, Carcass Characteristics And Composition Of Young Market Lambs, B. D. Schanbacher, J. D. Crouse, C. L. Ferrell

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Ram lambs, wethers and wethers implanted with Silastic capsules containing crystalline testerone were placed on test at 14.9 ± 1.1 kg and evaluated for differences in growth, performance, carcass characteristics and composition. Silastic implants that were able to maintain physiological concentrations of serum testosterone provided appropriate replacement therapy in wethers. Growth rate, efficiency of feed utilization and carcass yield of intact ram lambs and testosterone-implanted wethers were superior to the corresponding traits of wethers. Wethers had greater backfat thickness and percentage kidney and pelvic fat, and their carcasses graded higher than those of ram lambs or wethers implanted with a …