Effect of genotypes and age on carcass and meat quality characteristics of ram lambs

الملخص EN

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the composition and meat quality characteristics of carcasses from ram lams born to Romney ewes sired by Romney, East Friesian X (Finn X Texel) and Finn X Dorset rams slaughtered at 150 or 300 days of age.

Complete dissections of one leg from each carcass into muscle, fat and bone components were evaluated.

Weight-adjusted carcass weight and length were greater (P<0.05) for lambs sired by East Friesian X (Finn X Texel) and Finn X Dorset rams with no differences in dressing-out percent.

At a constant carcass weight, there was no difference in carcass fatness (fat depth and leg dissectible fat) between lambs sired by East Friesian X (Finn X Texel), and Finn X Dorset rams.

Meat yield and muscle: bone ratio at a constant weight tended to be greater in lambs sired by Finn X Dorset and to a lesser extent in those sired by East Friesian X (Finn X Texel).

Leg muscularity in the femur region was significantly lower (P<0.05) in lambs sired by Finn X Dorset rams than those sired by Romney or East Friesian X (Finn X Texel) rams.

Lambs slaughtered at 300 days had heavier (P<0.001) slaughter and carcass weights and higher (P<0.05) dressing-out percent.

Shear force value was significantly lower (P<0.05) for muscles from lambs sired by Romney than those sired by other genotypes.

The results of the present study indicated that lambs sired by Friesian X (Finn X Texel) and Finn X Dorset rams had less fat and more muscle to bone ratios than those sired by Romney, while lambs slaughtered at 150 days of age were fatter and had shorter carcasses than those slaughtered at 300 days of age at the same carcass weight.