Growth and carcass traits of lambs grown to three and eight months of age
1999
Katoh, K. (Ishikawa Prefecture Coll. of Agriculture, Nonoichi (Japan)) | Usagawa, T. | Nakamura, M.
Three male Suffolk lambs were reared to three months of age, and were observed for their growth. Those given supplemental feed by way of creep feeding grew faster and produced heavier carcasses. However, this caused no difference in dressing percentage. Another group of three Suffolk x Cheviot first cross ewe lambs were slaughtered at eight months of age. They produced lighter carcasses in spite of their longer growing period. The proportion of foresaddle to hindsaddle was 51 to 49 in Suffolk and 55 to 45 in the cross lambs. The foreshank in the foresaddle was smaller and the loin in the hindsaddle was larger in Suffolk lambs than in the cross lambs. The L*, a*, and b* color values measured on the transversely cut surface of longissimus dorsi muscle were all larger in Suffolk than in the cross lambs. When sausages were made from the lean meat of the lambs, the tasters did not detect any difference in eating qualities among Suffolk lambs, but they distinguished the difference between sausages made from Suffolk and the cross lambs; they considered the sausages from Suffolk lambs a little more acceptable in color, juiciness, and overall quality
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