title: Carcase and component yields of rheas.
abstract: 1. Three Greater Rheas (Rhea americana) and 5 Lesser Rheas (Pterocnemia pennata) were slaughtered, using the procedures conventional for ostriches in South Africa, in order to determine the expected yield of by-products and saleable lean meat, fat and bone of rheas. 2. Differences (P < 0.05) between species were found in the proportional weight of the wings, feet, skin and liver. The wings, feet and head of rheas form a higher proportion of the carcase than in ostriches, whereas the skin of the former represents a lower percentage of body weight. 3. Lean meat production from rheas (64% on a carcase weight basis) is in the same order as for ostriches, broilers, turkeys and beef.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Zoologia Aplicada, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sales
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Navarro
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bellis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Manero
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lizurume
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Martella
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D001118:Argentina; D001717:Birds / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D001835:Body Weight; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D002417:Cattle; D002645:Chickens; D008460:Meat; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D009929:Organ Size; D011200:Poultry; D013045:Species Specificity; D014422:Turkeys