FATTY-ACID COMPOSITION OF FINNSHEEP CROSSBRED LAMB CARCASSES

The fatty acid composition of subcutaneous fat from Finnsheep crossbred lambs and 3 domestic breeds, Suffolk, Targhee and Minnesota 100, were compared. Crossbred carcasses included F1 and backcrosses to each parental domestic breed and the Finnsheep breed. Fat samples were obtained from 164 male lambs during a 2-yr period. Fatty acids studied were myristic, pentadecanoic, palmitic, palmitoleic, heptadecanoic, stearic, oleic and linoleic. The ratios of (1) palmitic/palmitoleic and (2) oleic/stearic were also studied. Year differences for relative percentages of the fatty acids were observed. Significant breed group differences were found for amounts of pentadecanoic, heptadecanoic, stearic and ratios 1 and 2. On the average, F1 Finnsheep crossbred lambs had a higher percentage of myristic and heptadecanoic and a lower percentage of stearic and oleic fatty acids than the average of the 3 domestic breed lamb carcasses. Palatability of F1 Finnsheep crossbred lambs carcasses as compared to the 3 domestic purebreds may be enhanced because of a greater amount of unsaturated to saturated fats, reducing the "tallowy" effect sometimes observed in lamb fat.