Ostrich slaughter and fabrication: 1. Slaughter yields of carcasses and effects of electrical stimulation on post-mortem pH.
A commercial ostrich slaughter protocol was developed. Ostriches (n = 7 males and n = 7 females) averaged 95.54 kg live weight and yielded 55.91-kg carcasses. By-product yields were measured. The most significant by-products by weight were full viscera (8.29 kg), hide (6.71 kg), full gizzard and crop (5.80 kg), and abdominal fat (4.11 kg). Sex had no effect on slaughter yields. Post-mortem temperature declines were measured on five separate muscles and showed that chilling for 24 h was sufficient to adequately chill the deep muscle temperature to under 4 C. The effect of electrical stimulation on post-mortem pH decline also was investigated and had no effect.
Morris
C A
CA
Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station 77843-2471, USA.
Harris
S D
SD
May
S G
SG
Jackson
T C
TC
Hale
D S
DS
Miller
R K
RK
Keeton
J T
JT
Acuff
G R
GR
Lucia
L M
LM
Savell
J W
JW
D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds; D001835:Body Weight; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005260:Female; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D013696:Temperature