Bu araştırma, Yüzüncü Yıl Üniversitesi Ziraat Fakültesi Koyunculuk tşletmesi'nde 1997 yılı Mart ayında doğan ve 45,60 ve 75 günlük yaşta sütten kesilen toplam 16 baş Karakaş tekiz erkek kuzu üzerinde yürütülmüştür. Besiye, kuzular ortalama 4 aylık olunca başlanmıştır. Kuzular 90 gün boyunca, meraya ek olarak %15.7 ham protein içeren karma yemle ad-libitum olarak yenilenmişlerdir. 45, 60 ve 75 günlük yaşta sütten kesilen Karakaş kuzularında sırasıyla besi başı ağırlığı 23.52, 25.66 ve 24.41 kg; besi sonu ağırlığı 44.14, 47.49 ve 42:29 kg; günlük canlı ağırlık artışı 228.80, 242.51 ve 198.10 g.1 kg canlı ağırlık artışı için yem tüketimi 4.660,4.351 ve 4.469 kg olarak bulunmuş ve gruplar arası farklılıklar önemli bulunmamıştır. 45, 60 ve 75 günlük yaşta sütten kesilen kuzularda sırasıyla sıcak karkas ağırlığı 20.35, 22.68 ve 19.75 kg; soğuk karkas ağırlığı 19.99,22.19 ve 19.08 kg; karkas randımanı % 45.24,46.47 ve 45.06; iç yağı ağırlığı 0.16, 0.13 ve 0.07 kg (P

A total of 16 single bom male Karakaş lambs born in March, 1997 were weaned at 45, 60 and 75 days of age constituted the material of the study at the Yüzüncü Yıl University, Faculty of Agriculture, Animal Science Department's bams. Fattening of the lambs started when the lambs were 4 months old. The lambs were fed, ad libitum, concentrates containing 15.7 % crude protein in addition to grazing on the natural pastures during tlie fattening period. The lambs weaned at 45,60 and 75 days of age had the mean initial weights of 23.52, 25.66 and 24.41 kg; the mean daily weight gains of 228.80, 242.51 and 198.10 g; the mean feed consumption per kg gain of 4.660, 4.351 and 4.46? kg, respectively The diflferences among the groups were found to be insignificant. The carcass characteristics of the lambs weaned at 45,60 and 75 days were found to be as follows; the mean warm carcass weights 20.35, 22.68 and 19.75 kg; the mean cold carcass weights 19.99,22.19 and 19.08 kg; the mean dressing percentages 45.24,46.47 and 45.06 %; the mean internal fat weights 0.16,0.13 and 0.07 kg (P<0.05); the mean kidney and pelvic fat weights 0.14, 0.12 and 0.06 kg (P<0.05); the mean caudal weights 2.45, 2.94 and 2.40 kg; the mean fore-ami weights 1.61, 1.73 and 1.60 kg; the mean flank-breast Weights 1.24,1.42 and 1.02 kg; the mean leg weights 2.96, 3,12 and 2.65 kg; the mean neck weights 0.72, 0.86 and 0.81 kg; the mean shoulder weights 0.42, 0,50 and 0.46 kg; the mean rack-loin weights 1.57, 1.72 and 1 47 kg; the mean loin eye muscle areas 12.99, 13.29 and 11.24 cm2; the mean internal fat percentages 0.73, 0.54 and 0.32 % (P<0.05), the mean kidney and pelvic fat percentages 0.71,0.54 and 0 30 % (P<0.01); the mean muscle percentages 48.48,45.34 and 4"69 %; the mean bone percentages 22.76, 24.93 and 24.11 %; the mean subcutaneous fat percentages. 12 21. 12.11 and 12.83 %; the mean intermuscular fat percentages 5.61, 6.10 and 3.56 %, respectively. The results of this study indicated that the differences among the fattening performances of the Karakaş lambs weaned at the different ages were not significant. However, the internal fat weight and percentages (P<0.05) as well as the kidney and pelvic fat weight (P<0.05) and percentages (P<0.01) values obtained for the lambs weaned at 45 days were found to be significantly higher