Performance, feed efficiency, feeding behavior, and cortisol concentration of lambs ranked for Residual Feed Intake and Residual Intake and Gain.

This study aimed to evaluate the performance, feed efficiency, feeding behavior, and cortisol concentrations of lambs ranked into different groups of Residual Feed Intake (RFI) and Residual Intake and Gain (RIG). Forty Santa Inês lambs with a mean initial age of 120 ± 30 days and mean initial (IBW) and final body weight (FBW) of 28.9 ± 3.

Characteristics of growth, carcass and meat quality of sheep with different feed efficiency phenotypes.

The objective was to evaluate the performance, carcass and meat quality of 40 lambs classified by RFI (residual feed intake) and RIG (residual intake and gain). Dry matter intake (DMI) was recorded to calculate the RFI and RIG, classified as efficient, moderately or inefficient. After the confinement period, they were slaughtered and the carcass and meat quality were determined.