A research was conducted at the Experimental Field Station Vale do Curu, in Pentecoste, State of Ceará, to evaluate the growth rate and some carcass yield on crossbred lambs born from "crioula" (SRD-without well-defined type) tropical hair ewes mated with Santa Inês and Brazilian Somali rams. Forty six crossebred lambs of both sexes were raised in a semi-intensive conditions and lamb growth rate was evaluated by taking into account the body weight from weaning with three months of age to six month. Male lambs of each group were slaughtered at the final weight and their carcasses evaluated for yield and conformation score. A completely randomized design was used to analyze the data. Results shown that both groups of animals had a similar weight at weaning but there was a significant difference (P<0.05) on growth rate at six month of age. The Santa Inês cross lamb had heavier bodyweight (21,2 kg, with a daily gain weight of 112 g) than Somalis cross lambs (18,2 and 72 g of daily weight gain). No effect of genotype was detected in the hot and cold carcass yield, although the Santa Inês lamb crossbred were heavier (P<0.05) than Brazilian Somali crossbred lamb. It was concluded that the Santa Inês breed rams is a better alternative to improve the meat sheep production in the Northeast Brazil than the Somalis breed rams.
sheep; crossbreeding; live gain weight
