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Study of Certain Lamb and Carcass Quality Factors

United States Department of Agriculture^{1, 2,}

Abstract

Data on 1138 lambs (adjusted for breed of sire, breed of dam, sire, birth-year and sex) were used to determine if trimmed primal cuts could be accurately predicted from combinations of carcass factors or slaughter weight.

Body width was the most reliable carcass measurement studied. Carcass weight and body width were the two most reliable carcass factors studied. Seasonal fluctuations, varying feed conditions and characteristically fatter females than males attributed to significantly larger variances in yields for birth-year and sex when slaughter rather than carcass weight was included as a partial regression. Inclusion of head, bone and viscera weights in live weight caused larger variances in yields when slaughter rather than carcass weight was used as a partial regression. This study indicates that yields of primal cuts can be predicted rather accurately both in the live animal and from either body width or carcass weight which do not involve cutting up the carcass. Consequently, these results may be of practical importance both to the producer and the packer.

¹ Meat Quality Laboratory, Animal Husbandry Research Division, ARS, Beltsville, Maryland.

² The authors are indebted to the Computing Laboratory and Livestock Staff of Biometrical Services, ARS, USDA, Beltsville, Maryland, for their assistance.