Meat production traits of a new sheep breed called Bafra in Turkey 2. Meat quality characteristics of lambs.
Meat quality characteristics of Bafra ram lambs slaughtered at different weights were investigated. A total of 24 lambs fattened intensively was slaughtered at four slaughter weights of 30, 35, 40, and 45 kg. Water-holding capacity, cooking loss, tenderness, color, as well as protein content did not vary significantly among the slaughter weight groups, although the 30-kg slaughter weight lambs displayed the greatest postmortem pH fall in musculus longissimus dorsi (P < 0.05). As slaughter weight increased, intramuscular fat of musculus longissimus dorsi showed an increasing nutritive value (P < 0.05), total unsaturated fatty acids/saturated fatty acids ratio (P < 0.05), and n6/n3 ratio (P < 0.05). However, atherogenic index and thrombogenic index values decreased with increasing slaughter weight, although this effect was not significant. The effect of slaughter weight on total cholesterol was not pronounced.
Yakan
Akin
A
Department of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ankara, 06110, Ankara, Turkey.
Unal
Necmettin
N
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000032:analysis; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000592:standards*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D012756:Sheep / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
D005227:Fatty Acids; D002784:Cholesterol