Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2plfb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T20:38:16.501Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Carcass and eating quality of ram, castrated ram and ewe lambs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

E. Dransfield ,
G. R. Nute ,
B. W. Hogg  and
B. R. Walters
E. Dransfield
Affiliation:
AFRC Institute of Food Research — Bristol Laboratory, Langford, Bristol BS18 7DY
G. R. Nute
Affiliation:
AFRC Institute of Food Research — Bristol Laboratory, Langford, Bristol BS18 7DY
B. W. Hogg
Affiliation:
AFRC Institute of Food Research — Bristol Laboratory, Langford, Bristol BS18 7DY
B. R. Walters
Affiliation:
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Redesdale Experimental Husbandry Farm, Otterburn, Northumberland
Get access

Abstract

Carcass and meat composition and eating quality of m. longissimus lumborum (LI) and leg joints were compared in entire male (ram), castrated male (wether) and female (ewe) Dorset Down-cross and Suffolk-cross lambs at about 20 weeks old. Rams grew faster than wethers and ewes particularly in the earlier maturing Suffolk crosses. Carcass weights ranged from 13 to 24 kg and at the mean carcass weight of 17·7 kg ram carcasses yielded larger shoulder joints. Ram carcasses were assessed visually leaner than those from the other sexes with similar conformation scores. Dorset Down carcasses tended to be fatter than Suffolk carcasses and the leanest carcasses were from Suffolk rams. Intramuscular fatness in LI was similar in all sexes. Intramuscular collagen contents were higher in ram LI than in other sexes. There were no differences in protein content, pH or colour of raw or roast LI. In assessments of eating quality of LI by triangle tests, male and female assessors differentiated twin rams and wethers equally. Category scaling showed LI from ewes to be slightly tougher than those from rams and wethers. Consumer evaluation of leg joints did not detect any differences in odour due to sex and ram meat was assessed better than that from wethers or ewes.

Keywords

carcass compositionconsumer preferenceslambsmeat qualitysex
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 50 , Issue 2 , April 1990 , pp. 291 - 299
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1990

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Alvi, A. S. 1980. The influence of sex status on meat quality characteristics in sheep. Fleischwirtschaft 60: 2037–2042.Google Scholar
British Standards Institution. 1984. Sensory analysis of foods. Part 3. Triangle tests. BS 5929: Part 3; ISO 4120–1983. British Standards Institution, London.Google Scholar
Brown, A. J. and Williams, D. R. 1979. Sheep carcass evaluation. Measurement of composition using a standardized butchery method. Memorandum, Meat Research Institute, No. 38.Google Scholar
Butler-hogg, B. W. and Brown, A. J. 1986. Muscle weight distribution in lambs: a comparison of entire male and female. Animal Production 42: 343–348.Google Scholar
Butler-hogg, B. W., Francombe, M. A. and Dransfield, E. 1984. Carcass and meat quality of ram and ewe lambs. Animal Production 39: 107–114.Google Scholar
Cosentino, E.Girolami, A., Pelosi, A. and Matassino, D. 1980. Qualitative characteristics of meat in lambs born from ewes subjected to hormonal synchronization of oestrus. Proceedings of European Meeting of Meat Research Workers, pp. 286–289.Google Scholar
Crouse, J. D., Ferrell, C. L. and Cross, H. R. 1983. The effects of dietary ingredient, sex and slaughter weight on cooked meat flavor profile of market lamb. Journal of Animal Science 57: 1146–1153.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
De boer, H., Dumont, B. L., Pomeroy, R. W. and Weniger, J. H. 1974. Manual on EAAP reference methods for the assessment of carcass characteristics in cattle. Livestock Production Science 1: 151–164.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dransfield, E., Nute, G. R. and Francombe, M. A. 1984. Comparison of eating quality of bull and steer beef. Animal Production 39: 37–50.Google Scholar
Dransfield, E., Nute, G. R., MacDougall, D. B. and Rhodes, D. N. 1979. Effect of sire breed on eating quality of cross-bred lambs. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 30: 305–308.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dransfield, E., Nute, G. R. and Walters, B. 1988. Sensory and consumer testing of meat from ram lambs. Animal Production 46: 497 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Edwards, R. L., Crenwelge, D. D., Savell, J. W., Shelton, M. and Smith, G. C. 1982. Cutability and palatability of Rambouillet, Blackface-crossbred and Karakul lambs. International Goat and Sheep Research 2: 77–80.Google Scholar
Ford, A. L. and Park, R. J. 1980. Odours and flavours in meat. In Developments in Meal Science — 1 (ed. Lawrie, R. A.), pp. 219–248. Applied Science Publications, London.Google Scholar
Kemp, J. D., Mahyuddin, M., Ely, D. G., Fox, J. D. and Moody, W. G. 1980. Effect of feeding systems, slaughter weight and sex on organoleptic properties, and fatty acid composition of lamb. Journal of Animal Science 51: 321–330.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kirton, A. H., Winger, R. J., Dobbie, J. L. and Duganzich, D. M. 1983. Palatability of meat from electrically stimulated carcasses of yearling and older entire-male and female sheep. Journal of Food Technology 18: 639–649.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lloyd, W. R., Slyter, A. L. and Costello, W. J. 1980. Effect of breed, sex and final weight on feedlot performance, carcass characteristics and meat palatability of lambs. Journal of Animal Science 51: 316–320.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Matassino, D., Dell'aouila, S., Colatruglio, P. and Cosentino, E. 1979. Qualitative characteristics from meat of the Gentile di Publia breed born from synchronised ewes. I. Myorheology. Zootecnica e Nutrizione Animale 5: 601–611.Google Scholar
Meat and Livestock Commission. 1987. Sheep Yearbook, p. 11. Meat and Livestock Commission, Bletchley.Google Scholar
Mendenhall, V. T. and Ercanbrack, S. K. 1979. Influence of carcass weight, sex and breed on consumer acceptance of lamb. Journal of Food Science 44: 1063–1066.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Misrock, J. P., Campion, D. R., Field, R. A. and Riley, M. L. 1976. Palatability of heavy ram lambs. Journal of Animal Science 42: 1440–1444.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nute, G. R., Francombe, M. A. and Dransfield, E. 1983. Consumer attitudes to fatness in meat.5th Home Economics Research Conference, Cardiff.Google Scholar
Riley, R. R., Savell, J. W., Smith, G. C. and Shelton, M. 1981. Improving appearance and palatability of meat from ram lambs by electrical stimulation. Journal of Animal Science 52: 522–529.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Seideman, S. C., Cross, H. R., Oltjen, R. R. and Schanbacher, B. D. 1982. Utilization of the intact male for red meat production: A review. Journal of Animal Science 55: 826–840.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sents, A. E., Walters, L. E. and Whiteman, J. V. 1982. Performance and carcass characteristics of ram lambs slaughtered at different weights. Journal of Animal Science 55: 1360–1369.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Solomon, M. B., Lynch, G. P. and Berry, B. W. 1986. Influence of animal diet and carcass electrical stimulation on the quality of meat from youthful ram lambs. Journey of Animal Science 62: 139–146.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stegemann, H. and Stadler, K. 1967. Determination of hydroxyproline. Clinica Chemica Ada 18: 267–277.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wierbicki, E., Cahill, V. R., Kunkle, L. E., Klostermann, E. W. and Deatherage, F. R. 1955. Effects of castration on the biochemistry and quality of beef. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 3: 244–249.CrossRefGoogle Scholar