Evaluation Of Body Composition Using Urea Dilution And Slaughter Technique Of Growing Priangan Sheep

Abstract

this study aimed to evaluate the in vivo measurement of body composition using urea space (US) to be compared with the slaughter technique(ST) method. Correlations were found between urea space, total body water, fat and protein in growing Priangan sheep and result from US and ST were evaluated. Six growing Priangan sheep were fed comercial concentrate and grazed on pasture for half a day. Prior to and on the last day of the experiment, body composition was measured by urea space technique. Subsequently the animals were slaughtered and analyzed for water, fat and protein contents. Result show that there were no significant difference of body water, fat and protein as percentage of empty body weight (EBW) from both US and ST deter-mination. The data of US and ST were 68.64 and 65.87 for body water; 9.87 and 9.85 for body fat;16.87 and 16.53 for body protein, respectively. Body fat using US was under-estimated by 0.7%, while body water and protein were over-estimated by 4.02 and 2.01%, respectively. The correlation between US and body compositions as percentage of EBW were developed and follow the equations: Water= 16.519+1.047 US (%);r=0.95 Fat= 23.837-0.297US (%);r=-0.98 Protein= 6.714+0.208 US (%);r=0.96 The correlation between body water and body fat and protein using ST method, as percentage of EBW were: Fat= 27.68-0.270 body water (%);r=-0.96 Protein=4.42+0.184 body water (%);r=0.91