Carcass characteristics and meat quality in cull ewes at different ages

Abstract

The objective of this trial was to evaluate carcass quality in 74 Santa Ines hair ewes aged 6 to 48 months. Slaughter occurred after fasting and electroshock, followed by dissection of the jugular veins and carotid arteries. Hot carcass weight, hot carcass yield, carcass length, skin thickness, shoulder, neck, loin, belly, rib and leg weights and percentages, leg length, and girth were measured. The rib eye area, color (by CIELAB system), shear force, and cooking loss were also measured. The data were analyzed using SAS procedures for analysis of variance, regressions, correlations, and principal components. Hot carcass weight was 15.75 kg and yield was 43.65%. Younger animals had higher leg yield while yields of loin and shoulder increased as age increased. The meat was darker in older animals. As age increased, both the quantity of commercial cuts decreased and the loss of quality traits, such as color, cooking loss, and shear force, increased; therefore, slaughter should be performed before 30 months of age.