The objective wasto determine in vivo and carcass measurements of culled ewes slaughteredat different physiological stages and the possible correlations between theobjective measurements (in vivo and in the carcass) and the body weightat slaughter and cold carcass weight. Twenty-one Santa Inês ewes wereused, placed in the following treatments: EL = ewes which remained in lactationfor 60 days with their respective lambs and slaughtered one day after weaningthe lambs; EWL = ewes which remained in lactation for 60 days with their respectivelambs and a further period of approximately 30 days without their lambs and,afterwards, slaughtered; and ENP = ewes that remained in feedlot for 60 daysand did give birth during the year. No difference was observed between rearingsystems in most of the characteristics measured in vivo and in the carcass.The croup perimeter determined in the carcass and the thoracic perimeter andchest and croup width obtained in vivo were highly correlated to thebody and cold carcass weights of the ewes in this study. Therefore, these measurementscan assist in determining the body weight of ewes at different physiologicalstages.
