Carcass characteristics and meat quality attributes in lambs reared indoors, on cultivated pasture, or on semi-natural pasture
2020 (English)In: Agricultural and Food Science, ISSN 1459-6067, E-ISSN 1795-1895, Vol. 29, no 5, p. 432-441Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
This study evaluated the effects of different lamb production systems on live weight gain (LWG), carcass quality and meat quality. Four production systems for weaned intact male lambs were examined: Indoor feeding with grass silage and concentrate (group 1), grazing on cultivated pasture with (group 2) or without (group 3) concentrate, and grazing on semi-natural pasture (group 4). Live weight, carcass weight, dressing percentage, carcass conformation, fatness and pH decline were recorded at slaughter, and M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum was analysed for colour, thawing and cooking loss, pH after 24 hours and 6 days, and Warner-Bratzler shear force. LWG was strongly affected by production system, being highest for group 1 and lowest for group 4 (p<0.001). Group 4 had the lowest conformation (p=0.002) and fat scores (p<0.001). Hence, production system affected age at slaughter, live weight gain, weight at slaughter, carcass conformation and fatness scores, but caused no differences in meat quality attributes in intact male lambs.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
The Scientific Agricultural Society of Finland , 2020. Vol. 29, no 5, p. 432-441
Keywords [en]
Colour, Intact male lamb, Live weight gain, PH, Production system, Warner-Bratzler shear force
National Category
Natural Sciences
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:ri:diva-51965DOI: 10.23986/afsci.91706Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85099127539OAI: oai:DiVA.org:ri-51965DiVA, id: diva2:1519843
Note
Funding details: Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet, SLU; Funding details: Interreg, 20200994; Funding details: RUN-610-0789-13; Funding text 1: We thank Jonas Dahl, David Johansson, Karin Wallin and Frida Dahlstr?m for valuable technical support, the staff at Skara lammslakteri for help during slaughter, and Mr Lennart Pettersson, farmer, for good cooperation. We are also grateful to the funding bodies Stiftelsen Svensk Fårforskning, Interreg ?KS [grant no. 20200994], Västra Götalandsregionen [grant no. RUN-610-0789-13], Agroväst and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences for base support.
2021-01-192021-01-192024-06-25Bibliographically approved