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Meat properties of lambs grown to 32 kg at various rates on phalaris or lucerne pastures and an apparent effect of pre-slaughter ambient temperature

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

E. P. Furnival ,
J. L. Corbett  and
W. R. Shorthose
E. P. Furnival
Affiliation:
G.S.I.R.O. Division of Animal Production, Pastoral Research Laboratory, Armidale, New South Wales, 2350, Australia
J. L. Corbett
Affiliation:
G.S.I.R.O. Division of Animal Production, Pastoral Research Laboratory, Armidale, New South Wales, 2350, Australia
W. R. Shorthose
Affiliation:
C.S.I.R.O. Division of Food Research, Meat Research Laboratory, P.O. Box 12, Cannon Hill, Queensland, 4170, Australia
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Summary

One hundred and fifty-nine Corriedale x Dorset Horn lambs were slaughtered at 32 kg live weight at ages varying from 98 to 303 days. The youngest lambs were from ewes on a pasture with high herbage availability and had not been weaned; the next youngest were from the same group of ewes but had been weaned at 6 or 12 weeks of age. Older lambs had been weaned at 6, 12 or 29 weeks from ewes on a pasture with low herbage availability. The weaned lambs grazed either a phalaris or a lucerne pasture.

Lambs that grazed lucerne had a greater dressing percentage and a heavier carcass. Over all lambs, ultimate pH of the m. semimenxbranosus ranged from 5·4 to 6·0 and Warner-Bratzler shear values increased twofold from lowest to highest pH. Minimum ambient temperatures during the nights before the slaughter days ranged from 13 to – 1°C; ultimate pH increased by 0·25 units with decreasing temperature over the range, equivalent to an increase in shear value of 26%. Shear values adjusted for pH differences increased from about 3·4 kg/cm2 at 130 days of age to about 7·5 kg/cm2 at 300 days.

Visual attractiveness of 13th rib chops increased with increasing area of the m. longissimus dorsi. Attractiveness was least at intermediate dominant wavelength (redness) of this muscle, but was not related to its reflectance. Optimum fat depth was about 2·4 mm. In general, chops from younger lambs were more attractive than those from older lambs.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 88 , Issue 1 , February 1977 , pp. 207 - 216
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1977

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