Effect of Live Weight Changes at Slaughter on Percentages of Killing-Out, Secondary Body Portions and Slaughter Byproducts of Awassi Lambs PDF

Keywords

ram lambs, slaughter, byproducts

Abstract

Random sample of 68 ram lambs weaned at 4 months were used in this study. Lambs were fattened for 3 months on concentrates of 13% crude protein, while alfalfa and forages were offered ad lib. All lambs were slaughtered at 7 months of age and divided according to their live weight to three groups, i.e. less than 30 kgs, from 30 to less than 35 kg, and 35 kg and higher. Number of lambs within these groups were 22, 28 and 18, respectively. Measures taken at slaughter were weights of hot carcass, cold carcass, head, legs, skin, empty digestive tract, digestive tract contents, mesenteric fat, kidney fat and organs (liver, lungs, hear, kidney) and testis. Results indicated that lambs weighted 35 kg and higher gave higher (p<0.05) killing-out percentages than groups of lighter weights. While, the latter groups gave higher (p<0.05) percentages of secondary body portions and slaughter byproducts. It was also found that live weight at slaughter had significant positive (p<0.01) correlation with killing-out percentage and with most secondary body portions. Results of this study also revealed an increase in killing-out percentage on live weight basis with the increase in live weight at slaughter (39.23, 43.41, and 46.24% for the three weight groups, respectively). These results suggest that slaughtering Awassi lambs with a live body weight of not less than 35 kg improves carcass weight which leads to higher production of meat and reduced slaughter byproducts and secondary body portions of low economic return