Effect of Genetic Crossing and Nutritional Management on the Mineral Composition of Carcass, Blood, Leather, and Viscera of Sheep

The effect of genetic crossing and nutritional management on weight gain and the concentration of minerals and trace elements in the carcass, blood, leather, and viscera of sheep were evaluated. Several statistical strategies were used to evaluate the different elemental composition characteristics of pure breed animals, i.e., White Dorper (ODO), Ile de France (OIF), Texel (OTX), and Santa Ines (OSI), as well as their crossbreeds 1/2 White Dorper and 1/2 Santa Ines (ODS), 1/2 Ile de France, and 1/2 Santa Ines (OIS), 1/2 Texel x 1/2 Santa Ines (OTS). Three different diets were evaluated AL (ad libitum), R75, and R63 (75 and 63 g of dry matter/kg of the animal metabolic weight, respectively). Levels of Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, P, S, and Zn were determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES). The concentration of inorganic elements in the different body components was not affected by the diet (P > 0.05), and OTX and OTS were the breeds with the highest weight gain. Random forest importance models demonstrated that Zn in the carcass, K, Ca, and Zn in blood, and K in leather are most associated with separating the different evaluated sheep's breeds. Crossbreeding the native Santa Ines breed with sheep of exotic breeds produces animals well adapted to confinement.

Automated summary

The study evaluated the effects of genetic crossing and nutritional management on mineral and trace element concentrations in various body components of sheep. The diets had minimal impact on the elemental composition in different body parts, and OTX and OTS breeds exhibited the highest weight gain.