Due to Covid, we were unable to process the lambs to collect actual carcass data. A sample could not be obtained for fatty acid analysis. Instead the lambs were scanned (with ultrasound) to determine carcass traits. Seveny-one lambs were scanned on October 2 by Melanie Barkley from Penn State University. Melanie is certified to scan for NSIP.
Back ranged from 1.98 to 7.55 mm and averaged 4.44 ± 1.20 mm. The median back fat was 4.39 mm. The SUPPLEMENTED lambs had more backfat than the PASTURE lambs: 4.77 ± 1.08 vs. 4.17 ± 1.24 mm. They also had greater loin depth: 23.5 ± 2.7 vs. 22.7 ± 2.5 mm.
Hair sheep are more difficult to scan than wooled lambs. The hair makes it difficult to make contact with the probe. Surgical blades are necessary to clip the hair for scanning.
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