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Changes in body composition relative to weight and maturity in large and small strains of Australian Merino rams

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

R. M. Butterfield ,
J. Zamora ,
A. M. James ,
J. M. Thompson  and
Jean Williams
R. M. Butterfield
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Anatomy, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
J. Zamora
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Anatomy, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
A. M. James
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Anatomy, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
J. M. Thompson
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Anatomy, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
Jean Williams
Affiliation:
Division of Mathematics and Statistics, CSIRO, Lindfield, NSW 2070, Australia
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Abstract

Maturing patterns are established for 93 individual muscles, and nine anatomical groups of muscles, using half carcass dissection data from 39 rams of two strains of Merinos of different mature size (91 and 116 kg). The maturity coefficients of the individual muscles and muscle groups are tabulated. Seventy-eight of the 93 muscles, and eight of the nine anatomical muscle groups, had maturing patterns which were not significantly different for the strains of sheep. In general, the muscles of the limbs and muscles surrounding the spinal column were earlier-maturing than total muscle and the muscles in the cranial end of the trunk were late maturing. The muscles of the abdominal wall matured at the same rate as total muscle.

Differences in the distribution of muscle weight of the two strains of rams, when compared at the same total muscle weight, were reduced when compared at the same proportion' of mature total muscle weight. It was concluded, therefore, that apparent differences in the distribution of muscle weights, when breeds are compared at the same total muscle weight, may be due largely to differences in mature size.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 36 , Issue 2 , April 1983 , pp. 165 - 174
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1983

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References

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