Hostname: page-component-5c6d5d7d68-wpx84 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-08-15T06:10:52.041Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Breed and sex differences among equally mature sheep and goats 4. Carcass muscle, fat and bone

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

C. S. Taylor ,
J. I. Murray  and
M. L. Thonney
C. S. Taylor
Affiliation:
AFRC Institute of Animal Physiolgy and Genetics Research, Edinburgh Research Station, Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9PS
J. I. Murray
Affiliation:
AFRC Institute of Animal Physiolgy and Genetics Research, Edinburgh Research Station, Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9PS
M. L. Thonney
Affiliation:
AFRC Institute of Animal Physiolgy and Genetics Research, Edinburgh Research Station, Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9PS
Get access

Abstract

Males and females from Soay, Welsh Mountain, Southdown, Finnish Landrace, Jacob, Wiltshire Horn and Oxford Down sheep breeds and a breed of feral goats were slaughtered when proportionately 0·40, 0·52, 0·64 or 0·76 of mature live weight. On average, carcasses contained 583 g muscle, 243 g fat and 174 g bone per kg. Individual cuts (four commercially higher-valued and six lower-valued cuts of the shoulder, rib, loin and gigot joints) ranged from 375 to 670g muscle, 129 to 625 g fat and 0 to 294 g bone per kg.

Allometric coefficients are given for 32 traits. The distribution of bone in the carcass joints changed little as animals matured but carcass muscle and fat distributions changed significantly.

Breeds differed significantly in proportion of carcass muscle, fat and bone and also in their distribution. Welsh Mountain, Southdown, Wiltshire and Oxford Down all deposited carcass fat about three times more rapidly than did the Soay, goat, Finnish Landrace and Jacob. The Oxford Down had the lowest proportion of muscle (514 g/kg) and most fat (317 g/kg). The Southdown had least bone (148 g/kg) and the feral goat most muscle (662 g/kg). Southdown and Soay had the most muscle in commercially higher-valued cuts and Jacob and feral goat the least. Males had significantly more of their muscle in the neck and shoulder and significantly less in the gigot and flank.

As breed size increased, proportion of carcass muscle and bone decreased and proportion of carcass fat increased. These breed regressions were attributed to the small but exceptionally lean feral Soay and goat breeds, rather than to a failure of genetic size-scaling. There were no significant trends with breed size among the domesticated breeds.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 49 , Issue 3 , December 1989 , pp. 385 - 409
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1989

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

Butler-hogg, B. W. 1984. The growth of Clun and Southdown sheep: body composition and the partitioning of totai body fat. Animal Production 39: 405–411.Google Scholar
Butler-hogg, B. W., Whelehan, O. P. and Mummery, P. 1986. Carcass quality of dairy sheep. Animal Production 42: 461 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Butterfield, R. M., Griffiths, D. A., Thompson, J. M., Zamora, J. and James, A. M. 1983. Changes in body composition relative to weight and maturity in large and small strains of Australian Merino rams. 1. Muscle, bone and fat. Animal Production 36: 29–37.Google Scholar
Butterfield, R. M. and Thompson, J. M. 1983. Changes in body composition relative to weight and maturity of large and small strains of Australian Merino rams. 4. Fat depots and bones. Animal Production 37: 423–431.Google Scholar
Butterfield, R. M., Thompson, J. M. and Reddacliffe, K. J. 1985. Changes in body composition relative to weight and maturity of Australian Dorset Horn rams and wethers. 3. Fat partitioning. Animal Production 40: 129–134.Google Scholar
Butterfield, R. M., Zamora, J., Thompson, J. M., Reddacliffe, K. J. and Griffiths, D. A. 1984. Changes in body composition relative to weight and maturity of Australian Dorset Horn rams and wethers. 1. Carcass muscle, fat and bone and body organs. Animal Production 39: 251–258.Google Scholar
Cameron, N. D. and Drury, D. 1985. Comparison of terminal sire breeds for growth and carcass traits in crossbred lambs. Animal Production 40: 315–322.Google Scholar
Croston, D., Kempster, A. J., Guy, D. R. and Jones, D. W. 1987. Carcass composition of crossbred lambs by ten sire breeds compared at the same carcass subcutaneous fat proportion. Animal Production 44: 99–106.Google Scholar
Field, R. A., Bass, J. J., Kirton, A. H., Fowke, P. J. and Duganzich, D. M. 1985. Distribution of ether extract, moisture, protein and ash in dissected tissues from ovine carcasses. Journal of Animal Science 60: 977–988.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fourie, P. D., Kirton, A. H. and Jury, K. E. 1970. Growth and development of sheep. II. Effect of breed and sex on the growth and carcass composition of the Southdown and Romney and their cross. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 13: 753–770.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Geenty, K. G., Clarke, J. N. and Jury, K. E. 1979. Carcass growth and development of Romney, Corriedale, Dorset, and crossbred sheep. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 22: 23–32.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hammond, J. 1932. Growth and the Development of Mutton Qualities in the Sheep. 2nd ed.Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh.Google Scholar
Huxley, J. S. 1932. Problems of Relative Growth. Methuen, London.Google Scholar
Jackson, T. H. 1967. The allometric relationship between carcass muscle and carcass bone in Scottish Blackface sheep. Animal Production 9: 531–533.Google Scholar
Jackson, T. H. and Mansour, Y. A. 1974. Differences between groups of lamb carcasses chosen for good and poor conformation. Animal Production 19: 93–105.Google Scholar
Jury, K. E., Fourie, P. D. and Kirton, A. H. 1977. Growth and development of sheep. IV. Growth of the musculature. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 20: 115–121.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kempster, A. J., Croston, D., Guy, D. R. and Jones, D. W. 1987a. Growth and carcass characteristics of crossbred lambs by ten sire breeds, compared at the same estimated carcass subcutaneous fat proportion. Animal Production 44: 83–98.Google Scholar
Kempster, A. J., Croston, D. and Jones, D. W. 1987b. Tissue growth and development in crossbred lambs sired by ten breeds. Livestock Production Science 16: 145–162.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lohse, C. L. 1973. The influence of sex on muscle growth in Merino sheep. Growth 37: 177–187.Google ScholarPubMed
Luitingh, H. C. 1962. Developmental changes in beef steers as influenced by fattening, age and type of ration. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 58: 1–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McClelland, T. H., Bonaiti, B. and Taylor, St C. S. 1976. Breed differences in body composition of equally mature sheep. Animal Production 23: 281–293.Google Scholar
McClelland, T. H. and Russel, A. J. F. 1972. The distribution of body fat in Scottish Blackface and Finnish Landrace lambs. Animal Production 15: 301–306.Google Scholar
Prud'hon, M. 1976. Croissance engraissement et qualite des carcasses d'agneau et de chevrieux. I.T.O.V.I.C. 149 Rue de Bercy, Paris, (Mimeograph).Google Scholar
Russell, W. S. 1973. Compreg User's Guide. IUICR Series Report No. 5. Program Library Unit, Edinburgh Regional Computing Centre.Google Scholar
Seebeck, R. M. 1968. A dissection study of the distribution of tissues in lamb carcasses. Proceedings of the Australian Society of Animal Production 7: 297–301.Google Scholar
Taylor, St C. S., Mason, M. A.McClelland, T. H. 1980. Breed and sex differences in muscle distribution in equally mature sheep. Animal Production 30: 125–133.Google Scholar
Taylor, St C. S. and Murray, J. I. 1988. Genetic Aspects of Mammalian Growth and Survival in Relation to Body Size. Butler Memorial Monograph, Academic Press, University of Queensland, Brisbane.Google Scholar
Thompson, J. M., Atkins, K. D. and Gilmour, A. R. 1979. Carcass characteristics of heavyweight crossbred lambs. III. Distribution of subcutaneous fat, intermuscular fat, muscle and bone in the carcass. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 30: 1215–1221.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thompson, J. M., Butterfield, R. M. and Perry, D. 1985. Food intake, growth and body composition in Australian Merino sheep selected for high and low weaning weight. 2. Chemical and dissectible body composition. Animal Production 40: 71–84.Google Scholar
Thompson, J. M., Butterfield, R. M. and Perry, D. 1987. Food intake, growth and body composition in Australian Merino sheep selected for high and low weaning weight. 4. Partitioning of dissected and chemical fat in the body. Animal Production 45: 49–60.Google Scholar
Thonney, M. L., Taylor, St C. S. and McClelland, T. H. 1987a. Breed and sex differences in equally mature sheep and goats. 1. Growth and food intake. Animal Production 45: 239–260.Google Scholar
Thonney, M. L., Taylor, St C. S., Murray, J. I. and McClelland, T. H. 1987b. Breed and sex differences in equally mature sheep and goats. 2. Body components at slaughter. Animal Production 45: 261–276.Google Scholar
Thonney, M. L., Taylor, St C. S., Murray, J. I. and McClelland, T. H. 1987C. Breed and sex differences in equally mature sheep and goats. 3. Muscle weight distribution. Animal Production 45: 277–290.Google Scholar
Timon, V. M. and Bichard, M. 1965. Quantitative estimates of lamb carcass composition. 1. Sample joints. Animal Production 7: 173–181.Google Scholar
Wood, J. D., MacFie, H. J. H., Pomeroy, R. W. and Twinn, D. J. 1980. Carcass composition in four sheep breeds: the importance of type of breed and stage of maturity. Animal Production 30: 135–152.Google Scholar