Search Results (2)

This study evaluated marbling and meat quality traits in lambs of three genotypes under a uniform high-energy fattening regimen. Male lambs (6–7 months old, n = 12 per group) from purebred Kazakh Finewool (control) and two independent Suffolk × Kazakh Finewool F₁ crossbred lines (Groups 1 and 2) were fed identical diets and raised under the same conditions. Meat samples were analyzed for composition, fatty acid profile, micronutrients, color, visual marbling, and microbiological safety. Group 2 crossbreds had significantly higher intramuscular fat (~9.0%) than the controls (~6.5%) (p < 0.05), with corresponding increases in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Vitamin A, vitamin E, and zinc levels were also higher in Group 2 (p < 0.05), while other nutrients were similar across groups. All samples had normal pH (~5.7–5.8) and high water activity (~0.985) and met microbial safety standards. Visual marbling was more pronounced in crossbreds, and meat color remained bright red with no significant group differences in redness (a value). These findings suggest that crossbreeding Kazakh Finewool with Suffolk sheep, combined with controlled grain fattening, enhances marbling and nutritional traits without compromising safety or appearance, offering a viable approach to improving lamb meat quality. Full article

In this article, we first assessed peste des petits ruminants (PPR) antibodies in vaccinated pregnant ewes of Kazakh breed fine-fleeced immunized with the PPR vaccine and the duration of maternal immunity in their lambs. Ewes in the last trimester of pregnancy and gestation were immunized with a vaccine from the Nigeria 75/1 strain of the PPR virus (PPRV) produced by the Research Institute of Biological Safety Problems (RIBSP), Kazakhstan. Serum samples from lambs born from vaccinated and unvaccinated ewes were collected a week after birth and at intervals of 7 days for 18 weeks after birth. Serum samples collected from lambs were tested for PPR antibodies using competitive ELISA and virus neutralization test (VNT). Maternal antibodies (MAs) in lambs born from vaccinated ewes were detected for up to 18 weeks, with a tendency to decrease starting at week 14, and by the end of the experiment receded below the protective level (<1:8). In the blood serum of a 14-week-old lamb with MAs (1:8), post vaccination with a field dose (10³ TCID50) of the vaccine against PPR, the titers of protective antibodies against PPRV increased to 1:16 on day 14 post vaccination, and the lamb was protected from infection with the field PPRV. A lamb of the same age with MAs in the 1:8 titer was 100% protected from infection with the field PPRV. Therefore, it is recommended that lambs of the Kazakh fine-wool breed be immunized from the age of 14 weeks or older to avoid a period of susceptibility. Full article