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In vivo prediction of carcass composition and muscularity in purebred Texel lambs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2017

B. T. Wolf ,
D. A. Jones  and
M.G. Owen
B. T. Wolf*
Affiliation:
Institute of Rural Sciences, University of Wales Aberystwyth, Llanbadarn Campus, Aberystwyth SY23 3AL, U.K.
D. A. Jones
Affiliation:
Institute of Rural Sciences, University of Wales Aberystwyth, Llanbadarn Campus, Aberystwyth SY23 3AL, U.K.
M.G. Owen
Affiliation:
Meat and Livestock Commission, PO Box 44, Winterhill House, Snowdon Drive, Milton Keynes MK6, 1AX, U.K.
*
E-mail: [email protected]
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Extract

Carcass conformation has been found to be associated with fatness among carcasses of similar weight and subjectively assessed fat cover (Kempster et al., 1981), leading these authors to suggest that assessments of conformation in live animals were even more likely to be confounded with fatness. Consequently, selection for improved shape would likely be opposed to the overall objective of reduced fatness in lamb carcasses. However, conformation remains a highly valued trait among lamb producers and breeders. In principle, shape can also be related to variation in lean: bone ratio and muscularity, defined as the depth of muscle relative to the skeletal dimension. The objectives of this work were to compare a live animal assessment of the conformation of the hind leg and ultrasonic measures of muscle and fat depths as predictors of carcass composition and muscularity.

Type
Poster Presentations
Information
Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science , Volume 2004 , 2004 , pp. 103
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Science 2004

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References

Kempster, A. J., Croston, D., and Jones, D. W. 1981. Value of conformation as an indicator of sheep carcass composition within and between breeds. Animal Production 33: 39– 49. Google Scholar