BODY-COMPOSITION OF YOUNG SHEEP AND GOATS DETERMINED BY THE TRITIUM DILUTION TECHNIQUE

Ten young crossbred Finnish Landrace sheep and eleven young crossbred Damascus goats with liveweights ranging from 14 to 50 kg and of differ ent ages and body condition, were used to develop equations to predict the body composition (chemical) in the intact body and dressed carcas s of young sheep and goats. After injection with tritiated water, the animals were slaughtered and their carcasses partitioned into anatomic al body components which were each analysed for chemical composition ( water, fat, protein, ash) and energy content. From these components, t he energy content and chemical composition of the intact bodies were c alculated by summation. Apart from organ and gut fat, the two species had a similar body component composition. Goat intact bodies were more hydrated and had less fat, but were similar to sheep in protein and a sh content. The energy concentration in their body components was also similar, but goats had a lower energy concentration in their intact b odies. Total body water, energy content and dressed carcass were predi cted accurately by the derived equations, but fat, protein and ash wer e predicted with less precision.